A CONTROVERSIAL faith-based secondary school has been given approval to remain in a village after a three-year saga.

Khalsa Secondary Academy was given approval by the Greg Clark, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, to remain at its site in Hollybush Hill, Stoke Poges yesterday (Thursday).

The Sikh-faith school has been at the Pioneer House site since 2013, and following a long-running legal battle has been given permission to make the site its permanent home.

Nick Kandola, chairman of the Slough Sikh Education Trust behind the school, said: “We are naturally delighted with receiving the positive news of planning approval after a lengthy delay.

“This decision and the previous determination by the Secretary of State provides confidence to the parents and the school community that the school clearly meets the requirements for prior approval.

“The school is now in its third year of operation and is doing well according to recent inspection visits and current and prospective parents and pupils will be delighted to receive this news.”

An initial application was refused by South Bucks District Council in 2013, which was supported by a planning inspector following an inquiry in August 2014.

But the then Secretary of State, Eric Pickles, reversed the decision following an appeal by the Department for Education, before overturning his own decision after 'misinterpreting and misunderstanding' evidence.

In Mr Clark’s report, he states that when the school is at its maximum capacity of 840 pupils, he expects an 'appropriate increase' of noise of eight decibels internally at the school, which would relate to 'moderate annoyance rather than serious annoyance' for nearby residents.

He also acknowledges that noise levels of 55 decibels overall could 'potentially be out of place', which is what the expected levels would be considering the current external noise levels of 47 decibels.

The report states: “The Secretary of State does not consider that there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the noise levels predicted to be generated by the appeal scheme would diminish the occupants’ living conditions so as to expose them to seriously annoying levels of noise giving rise to significant observed adverse impacts to health and quality of life.”

Residents have vowed to continue their fight against the school being based in the village and are considering what steps to take next.

Saera Carter, vice chairman of Stoke Poges Parish Council, said: “It is disappointing but it is no surprise.

"We have already forwarded the letter to our legal team and we are waiting for them to advise us.

“The Secretary of State, I personally think, has made a big boo-boo and they are now in too deep to back down on the decision.”

The parish council will host a public meeting on Monday, February 29 at St Andrews Youth Hall in Rogers Lane from 8pm to discuss the issue.