The future of a proposed new sixth form in Arborfield Green is up in the air as Wokingham Borough Council considers whether to provide additional funding.

Bohunt School – an academy run by the Bohunt Education Trust – was given permission to expand by the council last year.

But increased construction costs mean the expansion may not go ahead – having risen from an agreed £5.7 million in March 2022 to £10 million now.

The council confirmed earlier this month that it was “still working” with Bohunt to find a solution.

Now, the council’s leading body – the Executive Committee – is set to discuss possible options including providing additional funding, or looking for an alternative site.

A council document submitted to the committee says that Bohunt is willing to contribute £5 million to the project.

But it adds the council will still need to decide whether it can increase its own contribution – noting that it has “limited capital resources” and “no immediate need for sixth form places.”

Under the original agreement, Bohunt would have provided £2 million, with the remaining £3.7 million coming from the council.

The document says: “While both the Trust and the council have a long-standing ambition to open a sixth form on the site, the Borough has no immediate need for sixth form places.

“The council must balance the need here, against other potential uses for the limited capital resources at its disposal and how affordable any additional accommodation might be.”

READ MORE: Wokingham council ‘still working’ to open Bohunt School sixth form

The document also says the council is considering an additional site close to the school. But it adds that neither the council nor Bohunt controls that building and that assessing its suitability before going ahead with construction could take a long time.

It says: “As an alternative to a new build expansion, the Council is investigating the possibility of providing sixth form accommodation in an alternative building in proximity to the existing school.

It adds: “Equally the use of the building may impact on community space provision and engagement on a combined joint use of the building would need to be carefully considered.”

Officers are recommending that Executive councillors agree the council should look into providing a sixth form in an alternative building, while also working out the extra costs of building an extension on the Bohunt site.

They say the council could also decide to stick with its original funding promise – but that this wouldn’t build a large enough sixth form, so wouldn’t represent value for money.

The Executive is set to consider the options at a meeting on Thursday, July 27.