The Royal Liberty School, in Upper Brentwood Road, has proposed the demolition of its disused swimming pool and the construction of an SEND unit it its place.
The planning application – submitted by the school’s trust Success For All Educational Trust – details that this block would consist of six classrooms spread over two floors, catering for 30 pupils in total.
Also included in the proposals are two flexible spaces, one group room, toilets and an office space.
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Outside, a new SEND playground is planned to accompany the unit, featuring picnic benches and an informal half-court for football and basketball.
Planning documents reveal that the swimming pool and adjacent plantroom set for demolition now pose a “health and safety hazard”, having been left unused for more than a decade.
The pool is fenced off and replacing it would “not impact on the listed building or on any green space”, the design and access statement says.
It added that the proposals will “remove a legacy issue for the school whilst also freeing up valuable, useable space for learning and teaching”.
Havering Council is expected to make a decision on the plans by December 26; if approved, building works are expected to start in February 2026 and finish in April 2027.
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In order to limit any disturbance caused by construction, works are proposed to only take place on weekdays, between 7.30am and 6pm, while deliveries will be coordinated to avoid school drop-off and pick-up times.
The Royal Liberty School aims to increase its SEND cohort from 18 in September 2025 to 30 by September 2027, with six new staff members also set to join.
This increase in intake has already been agreed with the Department for Education and the council, and any additional students will be supported in existing classrooms until a new unit is built.
