Former college to be cleared for specialist education project
Durham County Council has approved demolition and asbestos removal at the disused Fyndoune Community College site in Sacriston as part of proposals to create a new specialist school on the campus. The authority says it will appoint a contractor to carry out clearance and preparatory works before the site is levelled, graded and reinstated.
Planning documents indicate that preparatory activity is due to begin this month, with demolition of Block 3 and Blocks 5, 6 and 7 forming the first phase of works. Block 1 will remain in use for longer and is scheduled for demolition in summer 2028, after current building occupants have vacated. The scope of the initial work includes removal of asbestos from the redundant buildings.
New specialist provision aimed at children with additional needs
The former college site, which closed in April 2021 following a merger with Durham Community Business College for Technology and Enterprise in Ushaw Moor, is at the centre of plans for a specialist educational facility. The council says the proposed new school would provide 180 additional places for children with special educational needs, including pupils with complex educational and medical requirements at secondary age.
"A dedicated, high-quality specialist educational curriculum"
The council has submitted a pre-application for the wider redevelopment and will begin to notify local residents by letter from Monday 17 August. The letters form part of the council’s engagement ahead of a formal planning application for the project.
What will happen on the ground and the timeline
Council documents make clear that the immediate phase focuses on making the site safe and structurally ready for redevelopment. Key elements of the early works are:
- appointment of a demolition and asbestos removal contractor;
- demolition of Blocks 3, 5, 6 and 7 in the first phase;
- site levelling, grading and reinstatement following demolition;
- retention of Block 1 until summer 2028 to allow existing users to relocate.
| Block | Planned action | Phase / timing |
|---|---|---|
| Block 3 | Demolition and asbestos removal | Phase 1 (this month) |
| Blocks 5, 6, 7 | Demolition and asbestos removal | Phase 1 (this month) |
| Block 1 | Remains in use until vacated, demolition later | Due summer 2028 |
Local implications and next steps
For families, staff and neighbours in Sacriston and the surrounding communities, the scheme promises additional specialist places that the council says will meet demand for pupils with significant educational and medical needs. The proposal follows the college’s closure in 2021 when it merged with the school at Ushaw Moor, leaving the Fyndoune site surplus to standard school requirements.
Residents should expect to receive explanatory letters from the council from 17 August setting out the pre-application details. A formal planning application is expected to follow the pre-application stage, at which point there will be further opportunities for public comment and scrutiny of the detailed designs and impact assessments.
At this stage the council’s publicly stated aims are to ensure the clearance works are carried out safely, remove asbestos hazards, and to prepare the site for a specialist provision that, if approved, will add 180 places for children with additional needs. The timetable retains flexibility to allow current building users to relocate before final demolition of Block 1 in 2028.
Local people will watch closely for the formal planning documents and further detail on how the new facility will operate and where pupils will come from across County Durham.
