Decision yet to be made on Beech Lodge School planning application

The future of Beech Lodge School remains in limbo following the announcement that a decision on a planning appeal for the school’s new site is yet to be made.

An inquiry was held in the New Year after plans for a new campus near Maidenhead Thicket were called in by the secretary of state.

The outcome of this was expected to be confirmed yesterday, but the deadline looks set to pass without a decision being confirmed.

In a statement, a spokesman for the DCLG said: “We are still considering this case.

“A decision will be made in due course.”

The department has yet to respond to requests for clarification on how long before a decision might be made.

Daniela Szmigielska Shanly, the school’s founder, said: “I’m speechless.

“Our planning advisors have been in contact with them [the planning inspectorate] and they’ve said they were working towards today’s deadline.

“It just makes the situation worse for everybody - we got permission in October 2014 and we’re now nearly in June 2016.

“We’ve done everything we had to do on time and supplied all the relevant information and now we’re just in the hands of the ministry.”