A 鈥渕uch-needed鈥 special school first approved five years ago in west London has been rejected for planning permission by councillors opposed to building a five-storey block of flats on the site. was due to open in 2024, six years after ministers approved Hounslow鈥檚 bid for a new free, social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) school. Hounslow鈥檚 special needs services are creaking, with finding significant weaknesses in its SEND provision. 鈥淭oo many鈥 children were placed out of the borough to meet needs. The case reveals stumbling blocks for building homes on school sites just as the government renews its bid to find school land suitable to be sold for housing. The Wing鈥檚 plans were for a 90-place 11 to 19 school as well as 124 flats 鈥 35 per cent of them affordable 鈥 on a derelict site owned by the Department for Education. The new school, run by Orchard Hill College Academy Trust, would serve pupils from Hounslow and Ealing. But the planning committee rejected the proposal over noise, privacy concerns and outdoor spaces. More than 20,000 objections were received, including from the neighbouring Sikh Gurdwara temple, MPs and residents. It is not clear when the school will now open. The site鈥檚 developers said they were 鈥渄isappointed鈥 and were 鈥渆xploring all avenues鈥 before deciding on next steps. Council spends 拢900,000 sending pupils elsewhere Labour-run Hounslow currently spends nearly 拢900,000 a year sending 16 secondary-aged pupils to independent schools because of a lack of state places. The council is to join the SEND safety valve programme and will be given a bailout to plug a 拢23.2 million deficit in school funding. The proposed school would provide places for pupils with education, health and care plans (EHCPs) who have social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. They currently use local alternative provision, which supports children who have been excluded. The percentage of Hounslow pupils with EHCPs has risen from 3.5 per cent in 2018-19, to 4.1 per cent in 2020-21, which is above the national average of 3.6 per cent. The council spends 拢11 million on independent and non-maintained special school provision, according to its documents. Ruth Cunningham, from the DfE鈥檚 property company LocatED, said the Wing鈥檚 academy was a 鈥渟howcase鈥 of one of the 鈥渂est educational environments that can be delivered in a SEN setting鈥. She added Hounslow鈥檚 own site allocation – created in its 2015 local plan – earmarked the land for residential and education use. 鈥楴ew school proposers need to engage鈥 Paul Robinson, a chartered town planner representing the Gurdwara, told the planning meeting last month that 鈥渘o one wants to see a school thrown out鈥 but 鈥渢hat鈥檚 the structure of the application鈥. In the committee鈥檚 decision notice, councillors said the 鈥渟ubmitted noise impact assessment and subsequent technical notes fail to fully understand and mitigate any possible noise impacts from the neighbouring Gurdwara鈥 on the development. The flats鈥 windows and balconies also 鈥渨ould be an intrusive and unneighbourly addition resulting in a loss of privacy鈥. Free schools face huge planning hurdles. Unity Schools Partnership鈥檚 2017 free school in Havering is finally opening next year after taking a 鈥渓ong time to secure planning permission鈥. The school is on green belt land so needed approval from the local authority and the Greater London Authority. Schools Week revealed last month how just one in 37 special and AP free schools pledged since 2020 had opened in a permanent home, despite a chronic crisis in available spaces. Christine Bayliss, a free school expert and former civil servant, said proposers of new schools 鈥渘eed to ensure that they are engaged in the process鈥. A LocatED spokesperson said it could take time to secure a permanent site in cities because of council planning requirements and the need to demonstrate 鈥榖est value for the taxpayer鈥. They added Wings would be an 鈥渆ducation-led development鈥, providing 鈥渕uch-needed specialist education provision within the borough鈥.