At the full meeting of South Derbyshire District Council on Thursday 11 September, local Conservatives pressed Labour’s leadership at the Council on the future of a long-promised school development at New House Farm.
Etwall Ward Councillor, Andrew Kirke raised urgent concerns about the fate of New House Farm Primary School, a project originally secured through a Section 106 agreement with funding agreed by the Department for Education. Following the change of Government earlier this year, that funding has been put on hold pending a comprehensive spending review.
Despite repeated requests for updates from Derbyshire County Council’s Education team, the Department for Education has yet to make a decision. In the latest communication, dated 19 August 2025, County Council officials confirmed they are still awaiting clarity. With the November 2025 deadline approaching—when the designated school land must be offered for transfer under the Fourth Deed of Variation—time is running out.
“If this matter remains unresolved, we risk losing both the designated land and the Section 106 funding,” warned Cllr. Kirke, “leaving children from New House Farm and other nearby developments facing long bus journeys to schools elsewhere at significant public cost.”
Cllr. Kirke noted that he had already written to the local MP about the situation but had yet to receive a reply. He challenged the Leader of the Council to commit to lobbying both the Secretary of State for Education and the MP to secure the funding commitment and ensure families in New House Farm are not left without the school places they were promised.
The exchange highlights growing frustration at what residents believe to be the Labour authority’s failure to hold their Government colleagues to account on behalf of South Derbyshire families. With housing developments in the area already placing pressure on local school capacity, the outcome of this funding row could have a lasting impact on education provision across the district.
