Growing pressure on Surrey’s SEND system has prompted a proposal to bring a former Haslemere school site back into education use as part of efforts to increase specialist school places.

Farnham and Bordon MP Gregory Stafford has suggested exploring whether the former Royal School site on Farnham Lane could be purchased and repurposed as a specialist education hub, arguing it would be a faster solution than building new facilities from scratch.

He has written to the Secretary of State for Education calling for Government backing to enable Surrey’s local authority to acquire the site, describing pressure on specialist provision as “immense”.

The proposal comes amid rising demand for SEND places across West Surrey, with some children facing long waits for support or being placed in schools far from home due to a lack of local specialist provision.

Mr Stafford said: “The pressure on our specialist education system is immense and we desperately need more capacity.

“It’s clear that the current Labour Government is not giving enough money for specialist places.”

He has now launched a public survey to gather views on the proposal, including from residents living near The Royal School site, before taking discussions further with Surrey County Council and the incoming local authority structure.

“Now it will be up to the new Western authority here in Surrey to make that decision,” he said. “Tell me what you think so I can take this forward with both the current council and the new authority, so we can get the specialist education places we need.”

Mr Stafford argues that underused or former school sites should be considered as part of a wider strategy to address SEND shortages, saying established campuses such as The Royal School could be adapted more quickly than new-build projects.

The future of the site is expected to form part of wider discussions on SEND capacity and local government reorganisation in Surrey, with community feedback set to influence next steps.