Budget set to be agreed on Heaton and East Bowling special schools (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Budget set to be agreed on Heaton and East Bowling special schools

3:10pm Tuesday 27th December 2011 in News By Jo Winrow

Senior councillors are being asked to agree the budget for the building of two new special schools at a cost of £12 million.

High Park Special School, the new Communication and Interaction school, will be built on the old Thorn Park School site in Heaton while a new school for children with Emotional, Social and Behavioural needs is scheduled to be built close to Bolling Hall Park in East Bowling.

The two schools received planning permission earlier this month and will be funded by Bradford Council. When completed in the summer of 2013 they will form the final piece of the district’s reorganisation of special educational needs provision.

Three primary special schools were opened in spring 2010 followed by three secondary specials this summer.

The two final schools were due to be built as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme, but this was scrapped by the coalition Government.

In February the Council withdrew its £15 million commitment to Odsal Sports Village and opted to fund other major building projects, including the two schools. The £15 million was released by the sale of Leeds-Bradford International Airport four years ago.

The budget will first be discussed by members of the children’s overview and scrutiny committee on Tuesday, January 3.