Darwen special school expansion given the go

A THRIVING special school which moved from Blackburn to Darwen last year has been given planning permission for an expansion at its new site.

Crosshill School can now extend its sixth form block to create a new classroom, two life skills rooms, a larger staff office and a new tarmac playground.

In January 2022 it completed a £2million plus move from Blackburn Central High School to the vacant Sunnyhurst Centre in Salisbury Road, Darwen, providing extra places at both.

Its governors and the Champion Education Trust, which runs both schools, have had the extension approved by planners.

The move is part of Blackburn with Darwen Council's strategy to increase the capacity of specialist school places in the borough to support forecasted demand.

A report by Blackburn with Darwen planning officer Christian Barton recommending approval with seven conditions says: "The site comprises of a number of educational buildings with associated car parks, playgrounds and landscaped areas.

"The buildings mostly have red brick elevations, roof styles of varying types and white uPVC doors and windows.

"This application involves the erection of a single-storey extension to Block B.

"The proposed extension would have a footprint of circa 202 square metres and a flat roof 2.4 metres in height.

"Two additional classrooms would be provided within, together with a staff room, life skills room and store rooms.

"The extension would be finished with bricks and render with felt used as the roofing material.

"The existing building would be clad with those materials and new white uPVC windows would be installed throughout.

"A new tarmacadam playing ground would also be constructed to the North-East corner of Block B, which would have a footprint of circa 137 square metres.

"The site forms part of a series of large buildings that have been subject to a range of enlargements and alterations previously.

"The proposed extension would be approximately double the footprint and frontage of Block B.

"That said, the increases in massing proposed would not appear unacceptably out of place when the collective scale of the series buildings is considered alongside open nature of the site.

"The extension would also be set well back from Salisbury Road.

"The proposed development would be acceptable with reference to design and visual amenity."

The school is considering the possibility of refurbishing and extending the final block at Crosshill to prepare for potential future development and growth.

We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.

Please report any comments that break our rules.