The position of the Parish Council and the residents of Stoke Poges has not changed. We are opposed to the use of the Pioneer House site as a secondary school of any denomination, whether that is a faith-school, another free school, or one managed by the Local Authority.

Our opposition is supported by the District Council’s Planning Officer’s report, which recommended the application be refused on several grounds, mainly the use of a Green Belt site, the loss of an employment site, serious traffic and pedestrian safety concerns, and the inappropriate location for a school that is designed to serve the needs of Slough, not of South Bucks.

Parish Council vice-chair Saera Carter states: “We are disappointed that SSET are trying to portray our objections as being prejudicial against the Sikh faith, because this is absolutely not the case – as evidenced by the number of Sikhs in Stoke Poges who are equally opposed to the use of this site as a secondary school. This is further evidence of the manipulation of the truth from SSET and their desire for a trophy site in the Green Belt of South Bucks. They should focus on meaningful dialogue with the DfE to issue a Schedule 1 CPO on the site in Slough which SSET originally identified as their preferred site.”