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Search the Public Notice PortalCommunity leaders in Ipswich have expressed their disappointment after it was announced a new primary school in the town centre is likely to be cancelled.
It was confirmed earlier this week that the government was "minded to cancel" Central Ipswich Free School with money being redirected towards helping students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
The 420-place school, which would have been built on the site of the Co-op department store in Carr Street, was approved in 2021 with Asset Education trust chosen to run the school.
Central Ipswich Free School was part of the Free Schools programme which was a flagship policy of the previous Conservative government.
Several delays prevented work from being carried out at the school, before the Labour government placed it under review last year after the general election.
Jacqueline Bircham, the CEO of Asset Education said that whilst there are enough school places "in the short term" the trust was "very disappointed" that work could not begin.
She said: "We worked with the local authority to examine the pupil projections, and while we know there is likely to be a need for the school in the medium term based on planned housing, in the short term there are sufficient places in Ipswich overall.
"We know however that families in the centre of town are currently underserved by existing provision, and the travel to a suitable school can be difficult.
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"We are very disappointed as we had hoped to get the green light at this stage to get started on a lovely central school that would really breathe life and community into a part of the town that would benefit from regeneration.
"We are working with the local authority on next steps. We very much welcome additional funding for SEND, which is sorely needed."
Conservative councillor Sam Murray, who has worked to campaign for SEND children said that whilst the extra funding should not be overlooked, the announcement was "smoke and mirrors".
Ms Murray said: "In my view, this is nothing more than a cost-saving exercise.
"Of course I am happy for extra SEND funding but I am reluctant to celebrate this as this will increase the number of SEND children in mainstream schools which are already at capacity.
"Those pupils are the ones that will suffer due to bigger classroom sizes, so whilst it sounds good on paper it is smoke and mirrors."
What was the plan for Central Ipswich Free Schools?
Works were delayed several times however, due to concerns over a Grade-II listed mural and the discovery of asbestos.
Following the 2024 General Election, the new government announced that the free school programme would be placed under review with the plans for Central Ipswich Free School being placed on hold.
In December 2025, three months after the school was originally supposed to open the Government confirmed they were "minded to cancel" the school as a result of their review.
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