Pupil capacity cut as £1.1m special needs unit approved at Northampton primary school
The unit that will be built on the site of a Northampton primary school was first announced last year
A new £1.1m special needs unit in Northampton that will be built on a primary school site has been given the go ahead.
Hunsbury Park Primary School’s capacity for two classes per year group has been cut to allow the new building that will accommodate up to 50 children who have “significant difficulties associated with autism”.
West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), which gave permission last week, said there was a clear need for a new unit and that it has exceeded its own current specialist provision within the area.
It said it has been “forced” to use places outside the county and independent providers as a result.
The council said in May, when the provisional plan for the school was first agreed, that the greatest demand for specialist places across West Northamptonshire was in Northampton.
In January, the primary school employed 48 full-time and 21 part-time staff. Once building work has been completed, it is expected it will employ 61 full-time and 24 part-time staff.