A DETAILED plan to build a free school which is dependent on permission to erect new homes being granted has been submitted.

The plan is to build both a new school for Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton but also 250 new homes.

Detailed plans for the site at Low Lane were lodged with Stockton Borough Council’s planning department today (Monday, October 22).

The new school will be called Ingleby Manor Free School and Sixth Form.

The land for the school and the infrastructure, including roads, would be gifted by the land owners who want to build the dwellings.

The Northern Echo understands it is also likely a deal would be put in place whereby the school receives an amount of money based on the sale of each house.

A public consultation about the proposals was held in July and changes have been made. The submitted proposals now show the school to the left of the site, with a spine road separating it from the proposed residential units which are now all located on the right and to the north of the site.

Colin Griffiths from Satnam, which represents the owners, said: “We are delighted that we’ve been able to address the concerns about the location of the playing fields and access via paths and roads.”

In a letter to the planning department Stephen Fryer, chairman of the campaign group for a new school, Ingleby Manor Foundation Trust (IMFT, formerly BO2SS), said: “The free school will dramatically reduce the number of students bussed and driven by parents to these neighbouring schools on a daily basis, as the school will offer a total of 600 11-16 school places and a 150 place sixth form.”

Free schools are new schools built with parent support but out of local authority control.