Plans have been submitted for a major rebuild of Toot Hill School in Bingham which would replace around 85 per cent of the existing school buildings and increase pupil capacity by 250 places.
The proposals, prepared for the Department for Education’s School Rebuilding Programme, would see two new buildings constructed on the existing campus off The Banks. Many of the current buildings would then be demolished, while the recently built Suthers Building used by Toot Hill Sixth Form College, the caretaker’s house and some smaller ancillary structures would be retained.
The scheme has been drawn up because many of the existing buildings have been assessed as being beyond their serviceable life, beyond economic repair or refurbishment, and in urgent need of replacement. The Design and Access Statement says the current school also has a legacy of accessibility problems caused by multiple changes in level across the site and within buildings.
Toot Hill currently operates as a ten-form-entry school, with 1,500 pupils aged 11 to 16 and 350 post-16 students, giving a total roll of 1,850. The rebuild would allow it to expand by one form of entry, increasing capacity to 1,650 pupils aged 11 to 16 and 450 sixth form students, or 2,100 pupils in total. Staff numbers are expected to rise from 155 full-time equivalent posts to 192.
The first new building, known in the documents as NB01, would provide general teaching and sports facilities. The second, NB02, would house halls, dining and STEM facilities. Together they would provide 14,965 square metres of new gross internal floor space. This is smaller than the 17,640 square metres of existing internal floor space due to be demolished, with the project team saying the new school would use a more efficient layout by bringing currently separate facilities together.
The overall building footprint on the campus would also be reduced, from 13,764 square metres to 8,184 square metres. According to the application documents, this would return around 5,580 square metres of land to external use, including outdoor learning, social areas and landscaping.
The work would be phased so teaching can continue on the site without the need for temporary accommodation. The first new block could be built before any major demolition takes place. Once complete, parts of the existing school needed for the second new building could be moved into the first new block before further demolition and construction.
The proposals also include changes to access, parking and movement around the site. A new one-way vehicle route would take traffic from Tithby Road and exit at The Banks, with a parent drop-off area included. The scheme would provide 237 parking spaces, an increase of 16 on the current provision, including disabled and electric vehicle charging spaces. The existing bus parking area in the north-western part of the site would remain broadly unchanged, but the redesigned arrangement would allow up to 18 buses to be accommodated. Cycle parking would include 105 secure covered spaces, plus a further 20 spaces for staff and visitors.
Transport consultants say the redevelopment is intended to address existing congestion around The Banks during school drop-off and pick-up times. The application documents say the school is within walking distance of Bingham railway station, Toothill bus park and bus stops on Langar Road, and that much of Bingham is within comfortable walking distance of the site. They also state that, after expansion, around 80 per cent of school trips are expected to be made on foot or by bus, with private car trips making up about 16 per cent.
One of the more sensitive planning issues is the proposed diversion of Public Right of Way Route 15 through the site. The documents say the diversion is needed to extend the school’s secure boundary, but that the route would be improved through surfacing upgrades, widening where necessary and fencing improvements. Informal access from Sandpiper Close and Skylark Close would also be connected to the route and upgraded. A separate application under Section 257 of the Town and Country Planning Act is expected to sit alongside the main planning application.
The scheme has already changed significantly during pre-application discussions. An earlier version of the plan, submitted for pre-application advice in June 2024, placed new buildings on the eastern playing fields. Rushcliffe Borough Council and consultees raised concerns about public rights of way, the impact on nearby residents, sports provision, biodiversity, parking and disruption to community groups.
The revised scheme moves the proposed buildings closer to the existing built area of the campus, retaining the open outlook over the playing fields for neighbouring properties to the east. The documents say this reduces visual impact and overlooking, cuts the loss of playing fields and hard courts, retains Jack’s Garden memorial space, introduces a new drop-off facility, provides a dedicated service yard and reduces disruption to community sports use during construction.
Pre-application advice from Rushcliffe Borough Council in March 2026 is described in the Design and Access Statement as positive in principle, recognising the need to replace and improve the existing facilities. The council asked for further clarification on areas including phasing, continuity of education, sports provision, community use during construction, possible overlooking of homes on The Banks, biodiversity net gain and sustainable drainage.
The school sits next to the Bingham Conservation Area and the application documents acknowledge heritage considerations. Several existing school buildings are identified as non-designated heritage assets because of their association with the CLASP school building system, and the proposals would lead to their loss. The documents say this harm would need to be weighed against the public benefits of replacing and improving the school. They also state that listed buildings within 500 metres of the site are sufficiently separated from the campus and that the development is unlikely to affect their settings.
A public consultation event was held at Toot Hill School on 23 March 2026 after invitations were sent to neighbours, councillors, community representatives, parents, carers, school staff and users of the school’s facilities. The documents say 199 people attended the exhibition, with 84 providing feedback. The main issues identified in the consultation were landscape design and outside space, the need for a construction management plan to minimise disruption, and the transformation of the learning environment for pupils and staff.
The school is also used by local clubs and community groups outside normal teaching hours. The plans seek to retain and expand that role, with enhanced sports, performance and events facilities. A formal Community Use Agreement is expected to be developed as the plans progress.
The proposed development includes a biodiversity net gain of 16.14 per cent in habitat units and 214.66 per cent in hedgerow units, according to the submitted assessment. The documents acknowledge that there would be “a significant amount of tree loss” because of the need to keep the school running during construction and provide external space for pupils, but say most protected trees would be retained where possible and replacement planting would be provided. The existing boundary vegetation would largely be retained to help screen neighbouring properties.
Drainage and flood risk have also been considered. The site is in Flood Zone 1, meaning it is assessed as being at very low risk of river or sea flooding. The surface water drainage strategy would use sustainable drainage features including permeable paving, rain gardens, filter drains and swales, with attenuation provided through underground tanks and distributed SuDS features across the site.
The new buildings are proposed to be all-electric and fossil-fuel free, except for science curriculum use. The sustainability strategy includes a fabric-first approach, LED lighting, heat pumps, natural daylighting, mixed-mode ventilation, photovoltaic panels on roofs and in the landscape, and measures intended to make the school ready for net zero carbon in operation.
The planning application has not yet been decided. Rushcliffe Borough Council will consider the proposals through the planning process, while the public right of way diversion will require separate approval. If permission is granted, construction and demolition would be carried out in phases to keep the school operating during the works.