Plans submitted for £3.5m SEN centre in Blackburn

Blackburn with Darwen Council has secured £1.7m of new government funding that could be used to help transform the vacant Bridge House building, close to Blackburn railway station.

The authority is also in talks for it to become part of Crosshill School, under the leadership of the Oak Learning Partnership Academy Trust.

The plans were revealed at the start of May and now a new planning application has officially been submitted outlining the proposals to transform the building, including a new two-storey extension, café, parking, an outdoor garden and improved accessibility.

Council leader, Cllr Phil Riley, said: “It’s fantastic that we’re now in a position to submit these plans as part of our bid to transform the Bridge House building into a post-16 special educational needs centre.

“The building has been vacant for many years, and it requires significant investment to bring it back into use and so we’ve worked hard to secure new government funding to help towards that.

“We have big ambitions for our borough – for our residents and for our towns – and we’re on a mission to ensure no-one is left behind, this is a great example of that.”

As well as the government and council investment, council bosses are also looking to use section 106 money from new housing developments in the borough.

Councillors are in talks with the neighbouring Blackburn Youth Zone to allow for the Crosshill students to use the state-of-the-art facilities there if the scheme is progressed.

The Youth Zone building has recently been extended and upgraded as part of wider improvements to youth facilities across the borough, supported by £8m of government funding secured through the Youth Investment Fund.

When the plans were first announced last month, Cllr Julie Gunn, the council’s deputy leader and executive member for children, young people and education, said: “We want to give all our children and young people the very best start to their lives, and this could be a wonderful new centre for those with special educational needs and disabilities.

“The idea of incorporating a café that would be open to the public is particularly exciting as it’ll give the pupils hands-on experience while they learn valuable skills in catering and hospitality, creating important career pathways for them.

“With impressive new facilities just unveiled at the neighbouring Blackburn Youth Zone too – supported by the Youth Investment Fund – it opens up wider opportunities for them to be able to access those facilities, which would be right on their doorstep.

“And all of this comes on the back of our children’s services being rated Good by Ofsted in a glowing report, which is absolutely brilliant.”

This new planning application comes just weeks after approval was given for a £2.5m extension to Newfield School, which offers specialist education for children and young people aged between two and 19 years old.

That extension aims to provide new places for 65 pupils with special educational needs.

The Bridge House project could see the numbers of post-16 pupils taught by Crosshill also increase to more than 70, to help meet the needs of an anticipated increase over the coming years.

Currently, the pupils are based at a facility on a business park and the new plans will allow them to access a much wider curriculum, including important life and vocational skills.

The investment could also pave the way for the existing two-year course to be extended.

Cassidy and Ashton has been appointed as architects for the scheme, which is expected to cost around £3.5m.

Darren Pickens, senior chartered architect, said: “This development will restore a locally renown historic building providing a valuable and much needed community facility, improving learning opportunities for post-16 SEN pupils within the borough.

“Our proposed design maintains the original character of Bridge House, originally built in 1878, through sensitive restoration of its historic façades, while introducing a carefully considered new entrance, and striking modern extension of its west elevation.

“Despite the challenges posed by the building’s narrow footprint and it’s construction directly over the River Blakewater, our team has created a modern and functional space which make this unusual historic structure capable of delivering a modern special needs facility for fulfilling and inspiring education.”