Wolverhampton City Council's Labour cabinet will vote on July 22 on a £20 million proposal to relocate and expand Broadmeadow Special School, which currently operates in a crumbling building with a leaking roof, no working kitchen, and unsuitable toilets.
Current school conditions described as 'not fit for purpose'
The existing school on Lansdowne Road, near West Park in Whitmore Reans, is described in a planning application by the Central Learning Partnership Trust as not “designed for purpose.” Staff and students have “made the best out of the facilities available,” but the building requires a “major” refurbishment and a new roof. The toilets are unsuitable for older children, and there is no working kitchen, forcing the school to rely on delivered food. Mechanical and electrical equipment is “beyond the end of their operational lives” and constantly needs fixing.
New site in Pendeford to accommodate 120 pupils
The council plans to demolish the ageing Priory Green offices in Whitburn Close, Pendeford, to make way for a new purpose-built school for up to 120 children with special educational needs aged 3 to 19. This is a significant increase from the current capacity of 75 children up to age 11. The number of places rose from 54 to 75 at the end of 2022 when the age range was expanded.
Temporary measures already in place
Two temporary buildings have been erected on the school's car park, and an agreement has been reached to continue using the nearby Whitmore Reans Family Hub for another five years. The cabinet report warns that if the school is not relocated, it would cost at least £5 million a year to place children in proposed extra spaces elsewhere, including outside the city.
Surplus council offices to be repurposed
The Priory Green offices, recently used by council safeguarding staff but now empty, were among several buildings deemed “surplus to requirements” last year and put up for sale as part of cost-cutting measures. The existing Oasis Cafe, Pendeford Library, and St Paul's Church will be unaffected by the proposals, the council said.
