Old Tramways building could be £3.5m SEND centre

A vacant town-centre building has been earmarked to become a new £3.5m special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) centre.

According to a report which may pave the way for a formal planning application, Bridge House in Blackburn could be transformed into a six-classroom centre to be used by more than 70 pupils aged 16 to 18.

There are also plans for a new café in which students would be able to learn catering and hospitality skills.

Blackburn with Darwen Council could use £1.7m of Levelling Up grants from the government to help pay for the project.

The local authority is already in talks for the proposed centre to become part of Crosshill School, under the leadership of the Oak Learning Partnership Academy Trust.

It could see the numbers of post-16 SEND pupils taught by Crosshill almost triple, from 25 to 72, to help meet anticipated future demand.

The Bridge House plans are revealed in a new report paving the way for a planning application to be submitted for the building on the corner of Railway Road and Jubilee Street.

It was historically an office and power supply station for Blackburn and Over Darwen Tramways Company Ltd.

Meanwhile, the council is also in talks with the nearby Blackburn Youth Zone to allow for Crosshill students to use its state-of-the-art facilities in the event of the expansion plans being given the green light.

As well as the government grant and council investment, the authority is also looking to use money from developers' contributions to new building plans, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Education lead Councillor Julie Gunn said: "We want to give all our children the very best start to their lives, and this could be a wonderful new centre for our youngsters with special educational needs.

"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."

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