An inspector has thrown out an appeal to convert a large property near Selborne into a SEN school.

Plans to convert Empshott Grange into a co-educational SEN (Special Educational Needs) school were submitted in autumn 2024 to East Hampshire District Council.

Applicants Empshott LLP and the building’s owner, Arthur Scott, wanted to create a “small and beautifully formed school” with up to 40 places for children aged 5 to 16.

The plan was to teach neurodiverse children with autism, social, emotional and mental health, trauma and anxiety, with staff being trained to work in a therapeutically informed environment.

But while EHDC found the proposals admirable, the scheme was rejected on highway and access grounds as the building is in a secluded area with narrow roads.

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A planning inspector has upheld that decision, saying the applicants have “not satisfactorily demonstrated that the proposal would not result in material harm to highway safety.”