A TEMPORARY building in the green built, erected to help with an educational overspill emergency, could become a permanent fixture.

The building, a composition of temporary classroom blocks, was erected on Thurrock Rugby Club land at Blackshots to accommodate students at Orsett Heath Academy secondary school, which was running over its planned capacity.

It was in addition to a previous building on the Oakfield ruby club site which was built to cope with a first intake of students for the new school, operated by the South West Essex Community Education Trust (SWECET).

That was required because work had not even started at that point on a main new school building on adjacent council-owned playing fields. Planning permission for the first interim building to accommodate up to 120 students was granted in 2019 (planning reference 18/01709/Ful) and it was completed in time for the first wave of pupils in September 2020.

The 'shelf life' of that building for school use was limited, and when the students left, the building was to be gifted to Thurrock Rugby Club, who planned to use it as the home of its rugby academy programme.

The plan was for that first wave of students to move into a new major building in September 2023. However, Government delays and contractual term disagreements with the Department for Education. about the construction project meant that work on the new 'proper' school did not start until 2022, almost a year since planning permission was granted in October 2021.

Students and staff outside the first annex, now donated for use by Thurock Rugby Club. Its conversion since students left includes a bar and function facilities.

That created a need for more temporary places and so, in March 2022 an application was made for a new set of temporary classrooms in the green belt, to be placed behind a tryline of the existing main club rugby pitch. Permission was granted in April 2022 with an understanding that it expired in April 2024 and the building should be dismantled. The new annex opened for use in September 2022.

The permission sates: "The planning permission hereby granted shall be for a temporary period only, expiring on 30 April 2024, on or before which date the temporary classroom structure hereby approved shall be removed from the site and the land reinstated."

In September 2022 SWECET chief executive Steve Munday announced there was no chance of the new building being ready by the September 2023 deadline, with a new target date set for the main school opening being the new academic term in September 2024.

That target was met and its opening was celebrated in September last year.

The original annex was handed over to the rugby club, and its conversion includes a bar and function facilities.

It then seemed probable that the building behind the goal would be removed, but it remains in use, much to the consternation of some local residents.

They contacted Thurrock Nub News saying the school and its presiding trust, the rugby club and Thurrock Council were not answering questions about what was happening. Among those questions was 'why has enforcement not taken place as the building remains in place?'

Nub News took up the chase for information and had learned that the council expects an application from SWECET for the second annex building to remain.

A statement says: "Thurrock Council has been and continues to be in contact with the school.

"The school has told our planning team that they will be submitting an application for continued educational use of the temporary buildings by 10 February.

"We have reminded the school that applications will need to be submitted by that date or they could face enforcement action. 

"We have also stated that any use of the buildings must be for educational use only, including the possible use for a before and after school nursery provision. 

"As the previous planning application for the temporary classrooms was considered by planning committee, any subsequent planning application relating to this temporary building will also be brought to planning committee."