Last week Carter Jonas’ London planning team, on behalf of the Department for Education (c/o Jacobs), obtained a resolution to grant planning permission for the delivery of the first autism-specific SEN School for the Borough of Barnet.

The proposal will bring a significantly underutilised brownfield site back into use by converting and extending the existing industrial building on Moxon Street, providing a truly specialist setting for 90 pupils. Carter Jonas provided planning advice throughout the process, including the preparation of a robust Site Selection Assessment which demonstrated that the site was the only one available and able to deliver the specialist brief.

The development team combined autism specialist teachers with academic experts from University College London and the University of Birmingham, including autistic adults, to gain a more neuro-diverse perspective on school design. We are delighted with the outcome for this client!