Fire control centre to become special school

A former fire control centre is set to be transformed into a special school to help meet rising demand and cut reliance on costly out-of-area placements.

Wakefield Council plans to redevelop the former Wakefield Regional Fire Control Centre to provide 120 secondary school places for young people with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs.

The project is funded by a Department for Education (DfE) grant aimed at providing school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Work on the site is due to get under way later this year with the school set to open to students in 2027.

Nationally, local authorities are facing significant pressure to find solutions to the high demand for SEND provision.

Many councils are facing budget strains due to having to pay for placements elsewhere in the region.

Vicky Schofield, corporate director for children and young people at Wakefield Council, said that by ''spending now'' the council was protecting its finances in the long run.

"This investment of capital funds is an important step forward to improving specialist provision for families in our district,'' she said.

''It means better outcomes for our families, with access to high-quality education, and reduced reliance on high-cost out-of-area placements.''

She added: "We're committed to growing our own local specialist provision and improving inclusion in mainstream schools.

"By spending now, we will create more places in our district, mitigate budget pressures and improve the financial sustainability of the local education system."

The council said that the site was chosen because it presented a ''great opportunity'' in a ''great location'' that would allow for a quick redevelopment programme.

Initial engagement with the education and Inclusion service had been positive, the authority said, with further consultation planned with parents, carers and advocacy groups.

The fire control centre at Paragon Business Village was designed for 999 call handling, but the building has been empty since 2010 when a project to centralise emergency services was scrapped.

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