Youth centre to undergo £675,000 revamp to create special needs school places

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The Clifton Young Person's Centre on Green Lane [Google]

The Clifton Young Person's Centre on Green Lane [Google]

By Latifa Yedroudj, Junior Local Democracy Reporter

Part of a youth centre will undergo a £675,000 refurbishment to provide extra school spaces for students with special needs.

An unused building at the Clifton Young Person’s Centre, on Green Lane, will be transformed to create school places for young people aged 16 and over with complex needs, particularly those with autism.

The refurbishment is expected to cost around £675,000, funded from a Government grant.

Nottingham City Council approved the plan on Tuesday, May 20.

A total of 16 students who are currently at Nethergate Academy’s Swansdowne Drive site, will move to the Clifton centre once works are complete in October this year.

A further eight students will move to the Clifton centre in September 2026.

This move will help free up space at Nethergate Academy to support more younger pupils with special needs.

The vacated building will then create 16 extra places at Nethergate Academy this October, with the further eight places available from September 2026.

The added places will support pupils with “severe learning difficulties, autism and other related diagnosis,” documents say.

Works at The Clifton Young Person’s Centre will see new classrooms, upgraded toilets, a lift and improvements to outdoor areas.

The refurbished centre will also be used for youth activities outside school hours.

A part of the building will include a kitchen and cafe-seating area, and will be open to the public.

Documents read: “The refurbished building will also look to provide community youth provision during evenings, weekends and school holidays.

“Part of the building will also be exclusively let out to the community with a kitchen/ cafe seating area during school hours.

“The academy offers places for pupils with complex learning difficulties and disabilities including autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, communication and interaction difficulties, sensory and/or medical needs.

“The works at Clifton Young Persons Centre will include installation of a lift, general improvement of the internals including creating new teaching spaces and WCs and external resurfacing and new fencing.”

Nottingham has a rising number of young people with special needs, and there is an “urgent” and “increasing need” to create more school spaces, documents say.

Documents read: “Nottingham is experiencing considerable growth in the number of young people identified as having SEND and there is an urgent, significant and increasing need for additional capacity to meet this
demand.

“The Council is committed to supporting our schools and settings within the city to offer high quality, inclusive education.”

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