By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
Construction can now begin on a £3.3 million plan to increase special educational needs (SEND) places in three Nottinghamshire schools after councillors approved its estimated costs.
Nottinghamshire County Council will invest in the new facilities this year, with the project expected to create 74 new school places by autumn 2022.
King Edward Primary School, in Littleworth, Mansfield, will receive 24 places, with a specialist ‘satellite centre’ to be built on the 120-year-old school site.
The work will involve remodelling a two-classroom building and adding ‘calm rooms’. The inside of the school will also be reworked alongside play area improvements.
The work, which is expected to cost £695,380, is scheduled for completion by October or November this year.
Derrymount School, at Sherbrook Road in Daybrook, will get a two-classroom modular building with ‘calm rooms’, as well as improvements to the car park and external sections of the wider school.
This work, which is scheduled for completion by November 2022, will create 20 places and is expected to cost £1,152,490.
And the recently-completed new site of Newark Orchard School, in London Road, Balderton, will get a two-storey extension to the main building to create 30 extra places by October or November this year.
The work was planned into the original design, which was completed last year, giving the school three new classrooms plus a play area and improvements to the buildings.
The Newark investment will cost the council £1,465,810 to deliver and increases the special school’s capacity from 140 to the expected 170.
Members of the authority’s finance committee approved the funding on Monday (March 21), meaning all three projects can now move towards construction.
Councillor Andre Camilleri (Con), who represents Mansfield South, said: “King Edward Primary falls into my division and it is really needed in Mansfield.
“I’m looking forward to seeing it, it will really add to the school – we do have special needs in Mansfield obviously, so it will be used and I welcome this report.”
Cllr Anne Callaghan (Lab), who represents Mansfield North, added: “[From] working with families with SEND children, there is much need for these places.
“Families haven’t been represented for a while and it is imperative these places are available.”
But one councillor questioned why the Newark Orchard School works were not completed when the school went through its initial construction over the past few years.
Cllr Tom Hollis (Ash Ind), who represents Sutton West, said: “It’s obviously a fantastic project, nobody is doubting that, but clearly we made the provision at the time.
“How much more has it cost the taxpayers not to build this at the same time [as the wider school]?
“We clearly thought it was needed at the time because we made provision for the expansion.
“I struggle to believe building the classrooms when nobody was on-site was less of a disruption to [children] than building it now while they’re on-site.”
But in response, Cllr Richard Jackson (Con), chairman of the committee, said Cllr Hollis was “missing the point”.
He said: “Across the county what we’re doing with schools and special schools is building to the need at the time.
“Over 10 or 15 years, you can see the need growing as there’s more development and birthrate comes through the system.
“Rather than building something that’s over-provided at the beginning, the build at the first place is done in such a way to add to it. It’s designed to be extended once the need is actually there.
“It was always predicted to come, it has just come sooner than it might have done and I would dispute it has cost us any more.”
Councillors unanimously approved the estimated costs for all three projects, meaning they can move to construction in the coming months.
