Village School Set to Expand Amid Plans for 700 New Homes in Charfield

Significant expansion plans are in motion for Charfield Primary School in South Gloucestershire to address the surge in demand driven by nearly 800 new homes slated for development in the area. The school, located on Wotton Road, intends to add 210 new pupil places through a phased approach starting in 2029, with a new class introduced each year.

The £12.6 million expansion proposal is scheduled for approval at the South Gloucestershire Council cabinet meeting on Monday, May 12. According to an official report, developers have submitted applications for 775 homes to be built between 2026 and 2037. The report notes that these housing projects have been in discussion for some years but are now moving forward following resolutions to highway infrastructure issues.

Once complete, these developments are projected to bring approximately 217 additional primary-aged children to Charfield, prompting the need for expanded educational facilities. To accommodate this growth, plans include constructing a new two-storey building dedicated to additional classrooms. Planning permission for the extension is expected by August next year, with construction beginning in February 2027, and full completion anticipated by 2035.

In parallel with the school expansion, Charfield is set to welcome the reopening of its train station in 2027. The station, on the Bristol-Gloucester railway line, received planning approval in 2023, marking a revival six decades after the original station’s closure due to the Beeching cuts.

Further development includes council-approved plans for 250 homes north of Wotton Road, along with a separate application for 525 homes on the village’s opposite side. If all plans proceed, Charfield’s population could increase by around one-third, emphasizing the critical importance of expanding local infrastructure, including Charfield Primary School.