“Exciting” plans to build a sports hall at a Marlow school are going ahead amid funding pressures from central government.

Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School has applied for planning permission to create a new sports building on their grounds, which will include changing rooms, lockers, toilets and two classrooms/studios with teacher offices.

The West Street school, which has reached full capacity in recent years, needs to expand in a bid to meet “increasing demand” in the area and their non-teaching departments, including sports facilities, are “already undersized”, according to plans submitted to Wycombe District Council.

If given the go-ahead, the sports hall will have a curved roof and timber cladding on the walls, with designers reassuring residents that it will be built “furthest away from any boundaries with residences”.

Dr Peter Holding, headmaster at the school, said planning permission for the new hall is being sought before embarking on any fundraising for the project.

It comes as schools across the country face a £3 billion funding gap due to increasing cost pressures, according to a report from the National Audit Office.

Dr Holding said: “The Sports Hall is part of our ten year plan, in preparation for the School's 400th anniversary in 2024, to bring all of our facilities fully up to date, so that we can offer our students world class provision. 

“It is a very exciting time for us, but all of this is against the backdrop of constant funding pressures from central government. The governors are nevertheless determined to keep moving forward with improvements.”

Last year, the school opened its new sixth form centre after previously creating a new dance studio and science and IT provisions.

The plans for the new sports hall have been met with some concern from nearby neighbours, who say the application needs to be considered “holistically in the context of the broader school site”.

Neil Aldridge, who lives in Quoitings Drive, said: “The school building footprint has grown considerably over recent years. The changes have been needed, but it has set a trend of gradually replacing fields with buildings.

“This application will benefit the pupils and as such is welcomed, but we would urge some restrictions on future development to protect the school green spaces.”

Councillors on the Marlow planning, environment and transport committee offered no objection to the plans at a meeting on April 18.

Cllr Neil Marshall said: “The design of the building is quite nice and they still have plenty of green space. It is quite a big building but it blends in - some of the other buildings there are quite contemporary.”