Planning application submitted for new Sawtry primary school – BBC

Report on the Proposed Saltbrook Primary Academy: An Initiative Aligned with Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Introduction and Project Scope

A planning application has been submitted by Cambridgeshire County Council for the construction of Saltbrook Primary Academy in Sawtry. The project is designed to provide essential educational infrastructure for a growing community, directly addressing the needs of families moving into new local housing developments. This initiative is fundamentally aligned with several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning education, sustainable communities, and climate action.

2.0 Alignment with SDG 4: Quality Education

The primary objective of the Saltbrook Primary Academy project is to advance SDG 4 by ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

• Target 4.1 (Universal Primary Education): The school will provide essential primary education places, ensuring local children can access quality learning within their community.
• Target 4.2 (Early Childhood Development): The plan includes an integrated early years facility with an initial capacity for 52 children, directly supporting quality pre-primary education.
• Equitable Access: By building a school to serve new housing developments, the council is proactively ensuring that educational facilities are available to all residents, preventing overburdening of existing infrastructure and guaranteeing local school places.

3.0 Contribution to SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The development serves as a cornerstone for building a sustainable community in Sawtry, in line with the objectives of SDG 11.

• Target 11.1 (Access to Basic Services): The school is a fundamental basic service required to support the new housing developments, making the community viable and attractive for families.
• Target 11.3 (Inclusive and Sustainable Urbanization): This project represents integrated and sustainable planning, where residential expansion is matched with necessary social infrastructure, fostering a well-planned and inclusive community.

4.0 Phased Implementation Plan

The project is scheduled for delivery in two distinct phases to manage its growth in alignment with the community’s expansion.

1. Phase One:
   • Construction of a one-form entry school to accommodate 210 pupils.
   • Opening of the early years facility with up to 52 places.
   • The school will initially open for reception year applications, expanding organically as the first cohort progresses through the year groups.
2. Phase Two:
   • Expansion of the facility to a two-form entry school.
   • Increase in total capacity to accommodate up to 420 pupils, meeting long-term demand.

5.0 Commitment to Environmental SDGs

The design of Saltbrook Primary Academy incorporates features that actively support environmental sustainability, contributing to SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

• Low-Carbon Design: The building has been planned with a focus on minimizing carbon emissions throughout its lifecycle.
• SDG 7 – Renewable Energy: The installation of roof-mounted solar panels will provide a source of clean, renewable energy for the facility.
• SDG 13 – Climate Action: Energy efficiency is enhanced through:
  • The use of natural ventilation systems.
  • Design that reduces the reliance on artificial lighting.

6.0 Governance and Stakeholder Collaboration

The project is a collaborative effort involving multiple stakeholders, including:

• Cambridgeshire County Council (Applicant)
• The Department for Education
• Meridian Academy Trust (Proposed Operator)

This partnership ensures that the school’s development and operation are aligned with both local needs and national educational standards, reflecting the collaborative spirit of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The article’s main focus is the construction of a new primary school (Saltbrook Primary Academy) and an early years facility. This directly addresses the goal of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education by providing necessary infrastructure to meet the educational demands of a growing community.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The school is being built to serve families moving into new housing developments. This initiative is part of urban planning to ensure that new settlements are inclusive, safe, and resilient by providing essential services like education, which is a key component of sustainable community development.

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

  The article explicitly mentions that the school’s design includes “roof-mounted solar panels.” This feature directly contributes to increasing the share of renewable energy in the local energy mix, aligning with the goal of ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  The school has been “designed with low-carbon emissions in mind.” This, along with features like natural ventilation and reduced reliance on artificial lighting, represents a direct action to combat climate change by integrating mitigation measures into local infrastructure planning and development.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.

  The plan includes an “early years facility” that will open with “up to 52 places,” directly contributing to this target.

• Target 4.a: Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.

  The entire project is about building a new primary school and early years facility to serve a growing community, which is a direct implementation of this target.

• Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.

  The school is described as a basic service for families in “new housing developments,” ensuring the new community has access to essential educational infrastructure.

• Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

  The inclusion of “roof-mounted solar panels” in the school’s design is a specific action aimed at increasing the use of renewable energy at the building level.

• Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.

  The council’s decision to design the school with “low-carbon emissions in mind” demonstrates the integration of climate change mitigation measures into local-level public infrastructure planning.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For Target 4.2 & 4.a:
  • Number of new primary school places created: The article specifies the school will initially be for “210 pupils” and will later expand to accommodate “up to 420 children.”
  • Number of new pre-primary education places: The early years facility will provide “up to 52 places.”
  • Construction of new educational facilities: The submission of a planning application for a new school is a direct indicator of progress in building new learning environments.
• For Target 7.2:
  • Installation of renewable energy technology: The mention of “roof-mounted solar panels” is a specific, measurable indicator. The capacity (in kilowatts) of these panels would be a quantitative measure of progress.
• For Target 13.2:
  • Adoption of low-carbon design in public infrastructure: The statement that the school was “designed with low-carbon emissions in mind” is an indicator.
  • Implementation of energy efficiency measures: Specific features like “natural ventilation and a reduced reliance on artificial lighting” serve as concrete indicators of integrating climate action into building design.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: bbc.co.uk