The village of Sawtry in Cambridgeshire has moved one step closer to a new Primary School.
The County Council has submitarted detailed plans for the proposed Saltbrook Primary Academy.
The two-form entry school will serve families in the growing northern area of the village, where significant housing development has increased demand for local education places.
Outline planning permission for the new school was granted in 2021 as part of the wider approval for development in northern Sawtry.
Land was safeguarded within those plans to ensure space for a new primary school to accommodate up to 420 pupils once fully complete, with a dedicated on-site early years facility.
The new school will be delivered in two phases. First there will be construction of a one-form entry primary school for 210 pupils, alongside an early years setting offering up to 52 places, subject to demand. At this stage, all required infrastructure will be readied to allow two-form entry model when required.
Management of the early years provision will be put out to tender closer to the time of opening.
Cambridgeshire County Council has confirmed that the school will be operated by Meridian Trust, which already runs a number of successful schools across the region.
The council, the Department for Education and Meridian Trust will jointly determine the exact opening date, ensuring it aligns with both population needs and the sustainability of Sawtry’s existing schools.
It is anticipated that Saltbrook Primary Academy will initially open to reception year pupils only, with numbers growing gradually as each new year group progresses.
Cllr Edna Murphy, Chair of the County Council’s Children and Young People Committee, welcomed the submission of the plans. “I’m very pleased to see the planning application submitted for the new Saltbrook Primary Academy, to serve a growing community in Sawtry,” she said.
“We want all children in Cambridgeshire to have opportunities to thrive, so we’re building this new school to make sure that in the future we can continue to offer people living in Sawtry an education close to home.”
The design of the new school has been carefully developed to meet modern sustainability standards and support Cambridgeshire’s broader environmental goals.
The building will incorporate roof-mounted solar panels, natural ventilation, and energy-efficient lighting systems to minimise its carbon footprint and operational costs. These features are intended to help the council move towards its target of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2045 and align with national sustainability principles for new schools set out by the Department for Education.
Saltbrook Primary Academy takes its name from the village’s historical links to the salt trade. Sawtry, originally known as Saltrede in the Domesday Book of 1086, was once a medieval trading centre for salt.
Over the centuries, the village has evolved into a thriving community with a population of over 6,000 residents and a strong local identity.
The village, which lies around eight miles north of Huntingdon, is represented by a parish council and local councillors on both the district and county councils.
Sawtry has seen steady growth in recent years, and the new primary school is viewed as an essential part of its ongoing development, ensuring that the growing number of young families in the area have access to high-quality local education.
The project is part of the County Council’s long-term commitment to expanding and improving educational provision across Cambridgeshire in response to population growth and housing developments. By planning ahead and investing in sustainable, the council aims to ensure every child can attend a local school that meets their needs.
With the planning application now formally submitted, work could begin on-site following approval, paving the way for a new generation of Sawtry children to learn and grow in a purpose-built, environmentally responsible setting that reflects both the community’s heritage and its ambitions for the future.
