Calderdale school places: New Halifax school for children with special education needs could be built on Threeways Centre site

For some time, the council has been looking at how it can tackle the severe shortage of places for youngsters who need specialist help.

The council’s cabinet agreed in March to increase the number of school places for primary and secondary school-aged children by developing a new specialist school in North Halifax.

It has now been revealed that they are looking at building the school on Nursery Lane in Ovenden, where the Threeways Centre was before it was demolished earlier this year.

The report being presented to cabinet next week recommends the best option to increase both primary and secondary special school places in Calderdale is to build a new through school on the Nursery Lane site.

The council would work in partnership with the Department for Education to develop the site as a free school – funded by the government but not run by the local authority.

The new site would accommodate children aged from five to 16 with special educational and complex needs and would be designed to allow for further expansion in future.

If the recommendation is approved by cabinet, further work would take place to determine the costings.

A spokesperson for the council said: “Although the building of a new school is a high-cost option, it is seen as an ‘invest to save’ measure, due to the subsequent reduction in the ongoing costs of external provision.

"It would also support local families and improve children’s experiences by reducing travel time and providing a school closer to home.”

Cabinet will also consider recommendations to approve funding for the expansion of existing specialist school Ravenscliffe at its Springhall campus, removing temporary units there and replace with permanent provision

Calderdale Council’s cabinet member for Children and Young People’s Services, Coun Adam Wilkinson, said: “These proposals may be ambitious but we want to continue to do all we can to ensure that provision and support are in place to meet the needs of our young people and support their families.”

The report will be considered at the cabinet meeting on Monday, October 7.