Plans to be brought forward for multi-million-pound new SEND centre in Blackburn

Plans to be brought forward for multi-million-pound new SEND centre in Blackburn

The abandoned Bridge House building might be transformed with the help of £1.7 million in new government cash that Blackburn with Darwen Council has successfully won.

Additionally, negotiations are underway for it to join Crosshill School, which is run by the Oak Learning Partnership Academy Trust.

A new assessment has now been released, opening the door for the submission of a planning application.

Proposals for six additional classrooms in the historic building that can accommodate over 70 students between the ages of 16 and 18 are anticipated to be included, along with a new café where students may gain useful skills in hospitality and catering.

The project, which is anticipated to cost approximately £3.5 million, has been designed by Cassidy and Ashton.

The local government wants to use Section 106 funds from new construction projects in addition to the government and council funding.

Additionally, if the plan moves forward, they are in negotiations with the nearby Blackburn Youth Zone to let the Crosshill pupils use their cutting-edge facilities.

Remarkably, Crosshill School’s post-16 program has already received an Outstanding rating from Ofsted.

To help meet the demands of an expected increase, the initiative may see Crosshill teach nearly three times as many post-16 students—72 total.

The program, which has undergone a thorough survey and feasibility assessments since the government financing was confirmed in 2024, is fully updated in the Executive Member Decision released today (Friday, May 2).

Additionally, it requests permission to hire a contractor and to begin advanced repair and enabling work, which includes a complete strip out.

It states that a culvert that runs beneath the structure—once an office and power supply station for the Blackburn and Over Darwen Tramways Company Ltd.—needs more thorough inspection.

In the upcoming weeks, a planning application is anticipated to be filed.

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