Stockport Council proposes new £14m special needs school

A shortage of primary school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities in Stockport could see a new multimillion-pound "hub" built.

More than 30 such children due to start school in the borough in September do not have a local authority place.

Dean Fitzpatrick, the council cabinet's education member, said "temporary measures" drawn up could not continue.

He said a 200-place "hub" replacing Offerton's Lisburne School and costing up to £14m could be the answer.

In September, the council will have 190 primary places in local authority-maintained schools for children with disabilities and special educational needs.

Presenting a report to the council's children and families scrutiny committee, Mr Fitzpatrick said that meant there would be 33 reception pupils who could not be accommodated "and this demand will continue".

He said two of six independent schools which the council used as an alternative were "at capacity" and the cost of transporting children, borne by the authority, had resulted in a transport budget deficit of £235,000.

According to the report, any building would be funded by a loan of about £10m and additional funds from the Department for Education.

It states that the new building could need 25 classrooms, as the maximum class size for such a school is eight pupils, so an alternative site to the one currently housing Lisburne School would have to be found.

The proposals will be considered by the council's cabinet on 26 April and, subject to planning approval, the new school could open in September 2019.