A grammar school has submitted plans to build 59 homes on a playing field it owns to help cope with financial pressures.

If approved, Cranbrook School would turn two rugby pitches at its Jaeger field in Angley Road into 35 houses and 24 flats.

In total, two one-bedroom units, 17 two-bedroom, 25 three-bedroom and 15 four-bedroom homes would be built on the 2.75 hectare field.

Documents on Tunbridge Wells council's website reveal the school's trustees and governors are the applicants for the plans, which would see 40% affordable housing created.

A planning statement said: "The school has increasing funding pressures in addition to maintaining and protecting important heritage assets for future generations to enjoy and continue the school’s historic legacy.

"Added to this are significant running and maintenance costs associated with a school campus that includes many individual buildings and land parcels that have been added at different times.

"If the school is to flourish in the future, it will need to invest in and significantly improve its facilities to meet future demand and curricular needs.

"The proposed housing development will unlock funding that is critical for the school’s development to ensure it can update its facilities which will be a key part of being in a position to offer the highest quality of education for current and future generations."

Following the closure of the High Weald Academy the school says it will be under pressure to provide places for Cranbrook children and that if the school is to "flourish in the future" it will need to "significantly" improve its facilities.

If given the go ahead, a new access point would be created off Angley Road.

The site has previously been promoted for housing by the school and under the draft Local Plan was included, in part, as a draft allocation for residential development of approximately 30-35 homes.

Following a consultation in September 2020, concerns were raised by residents who wanted Sport England to agree to not using the fields for sport, which it did after suggesting the nearby Big Side fields would be a suitable replacement and has a better chance for improvements.

A similar proposal for 63 homes at the site was refused planning permission in October 2021 after concerns for wildlife.

Concluding their plans, the applicants said: "The proposals will, crucially, unlock the funds required for the school to invest in its teaching facilities, which will underpin its future long-term success.

"The school has been unable to secure external funding for these improvements, owing to the way in which grammar schools are funded, and therefore the development is needed in order to achieve these works."

It was also said the development would provide a "useful boost" to the local authority's housing supply as well as providing a nice open space, woodlands walk and a "cascade of swales" – or hollows – through the site.

Head teacher Will Chuter said: "Funding changes in 2016 meant that we had to reduce the breadth of our curriculum offer and cut subjects and staff to be able to afford to run.

"We have been unsuccessful with several Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) bids to improve our buildings in recent years since those requests did not match ESFA [Education and Skills Funding Agency] criteria.

"I don’t believe that this was linked to being a grammar school; rather it was perceived that Cranbrook’s need was less than other schools.

"Like all schools, in 2022 we are faced with the double whammy of soaring energy costs and an increased wage bill following the Teachers’ Pay Award.

"The school’s roll is growing as it seeks to benefit the local community more, and we want to ensure that our educational offer is relevant and future-facing.

"Therefore, we would like to build an earth sciences centre that would give real focus to the environmental education that is already occurring here and provide much-needed teaching space.

"We would also be able to build more changing rooms for sport and PE and renovate some of our older, Victorian buildings. The development would fund this."

You can view the plans here.

Use reference 22/02944/OUT to view the planning documents.