Education Today Education Today Magazine
Environment Bank, the leading off-site Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) provider, has supported Gloucestershire County Council to meet BNG planning requirements for a vital new all-through special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) school.
The £19.5 million state-funded school will open in January 2027, offering up to 200 places for primary and secondary pupils, including those with moderate and additional learning difficulties (MALD). It will be built on council-owned land at Wheatridge East in Abbeydale, Gloucester, which has been earmarked for educational use.
With demand for SEND places continuing to rise, especially in Gloucester and Cheltenham, the project is a crucial part of the council’s strategy to provide local support for children who currently face long journeys out of county or to independent schools to have their needs met.
The announcement follows the government’s recent Spending Review, which pledged £700 million to reform the SEND system and £2.4 billion per year for school rebuilding –underscoring the importance of joined-up investment in both education and the environment.
Jeremy McDermott, Senior Estates Manager, Gloucestershire County Council said: “This school project will have such a positive impact for families in Gloucestershire by providing space for two hundred primary and secondary pupils to have their special educational needs met far closer to home. We’re really grateful to the team at Environment Bank for their support in helping make sure our project could meet its BNG planning conditions on time and we’d recommend them to other councils.”
Lloyd Collins, Strategic Account Director, Environment Bank said: “One of the key advantages of having a large network of active Habitat Banks is our ability to promptly provide high-quality Biodiversity Units to councils like Gloucestershire County Council for their public sector schemes. We are thrilled that our BNG solution will facilitate such an important project. A big thank you goes out to the council and EG Carter & Co. for collaborating with us.”
Aligning with net zero goals and restoring local nature
The new school has been designed in line with Gloucestershire County Council’s Climate Change Strategy, which aims to achieve net zero emissions from council operations by 2030. The building will strive for net zero operational emissions, ensuring that sustainability is embedded across both construction and long-term use.
Environment Bank provided local Biodiversity Units from its Martley Habitat Bank, located within the same Severn & Avon Vales National Character Area as the development site. The site is also home to diverse habitats such as orchards, hedgerows, and ponds – creating better connectivity across the landscape which features parcels of ancient woodland. With public footpaths crossing the Habitat Bank, residents will be able to experience the biodiversity benefits first-hand as the landscape flourishes over the next 30 years. These habitats will also support natural flood mitigation and soil health, contributing to wider ecosystem resilience in the region.
Located within the same landscape character area as the school site, it ensures that biodiversity gains are delivered locally, cost-effectively, and with long-term oversight under a conservation covenant.
