Government office of the South West decides to call in Wilkinson Eyre scheme due to flooding and heritage issues

Wilkinson Eyre鈥檚 controversial Dyson School of Design Innovation in Bath may be scrapped by its charity backers after being called in by the Secretary of State.

Dyson School in Bath

The James Dyson Foundation said it would 鈥渟eriously consider鈥� whether or not to continue with the Wilkinson Eyre-designed development after being faced with the legal costs of fighting a public inquiry.

A spokeperson said: 鈥淭he inquiry is a scandalous waste of time and money... As a charity we鈥檝e already spent 拢3.5m and four years on the school project, overcoming endless bureaucratic hurdles. The trustees will now seriously consider whether to direct funds towards further legal costs or instead move on to new projects. And who suffers? Bath鈥檚 young people.鈥�

The school was given planning consent in March against the recommendation of the council鈥檚 planning officers, but the Government Office of the South West has now decided to call a planning inquiry into the scheme.

The Environment Agency has long objected to the scheme on the grounds that it will be built on a flood zone in a protected area of Bath. The James Dyson Foundation has countered that its consultant Buro Happold had taken measures to make the site safe even in the case of the worst flooding in 1,000 years.