Spending of £2m agreed for next phase of investment at Blackpool school where pupil numbers have soared

A £2m new hydrotherapy suite has been approved as part of the second phase of development at a Blackpool school.

Blackpool Council has approved spending for the scheme at Highfurlong Special School on Blackpool Old Road. The facilities will be built in tandem with the £4.8m first phase of work at the school, which began in July and will see a two-storey classroom block built. It is hoped the whole project will be completed by next October.

A council report says: “Phase two will see the creation of a new single storey fit-for-purpose hydrotherapy suite. The hydrotherapy suite will be constructed in a manner that allows for a second storey to be built in the future should demand necessitate this.

“Now additional funding has been identified, both phases could be delivered in tandem in order to benefit from cost efficiencies whilst contractors are on site.”

Hydrotherapy helps children with disabilities to take part in exercises which strengthen their muscles, as well as supporting their general wellbeing. It is hoped the investment will mean children can access modern facilities here in Blackpool instead of having to travel out of town.

A successful bid for capital funding was submitted as part of the Department for Education’s Safety Valve programme, with Blackpool being allocation an additional £6.2m to complete work at Highfurlong and other works within Blackpool schools.

The report adds: “The expansion scheme will ensure that the needs of more children can be appropriately met in local provision, reducing the need for lengthy transport journeys, and enabling children to be part of their local community.”

The first phase of work at Highfurlong includes six new classrooms which will enable capacity to more than double to 180 pupils. There will also be a specialist teaching room for lessons such as science, food technology and life skills. The ground floor of the new building will include facilities for post-16 students, alongside a new kitchen, as well as a community cafe.

Speaking in July when building work began, head teacher Neill Oldham said: “The capacity of the building has been overstretched for some time so this work will give us the space we need to continue to grow and meet the demand for places that we have faced over recent years.”