Council gives planning green light for expanded special school
City of Wolverhampton Council has granted planning permission for a £16.4m rebuild to replace Broadmeadow Special School, a move the authority says will increase local specialist education places and extend provision for pupils with additional needs.
The scheme, on a 3.5-acre site on Whitburn Close in Pendeford, proposes demolition of the council’s former Priory Green offices and construction of a new building to replace the existing Broadmeadow site at West Park. The rebuild would raise capacity from 75 to 120 places and extend the age range from 3–11 to up to 19 years.
What the council says and next steps
Council reports say the project is backed by the Department for Education and that planning permission will deliver "significant educational, social and community benefits", helping to meet present and anticipated demand for specialist school places across Wolverhampton. Funding for the project was agreed by the council’s cabinet last month, although the scheme remains subject to final approval by the Department for Education before work can begin.
“The decision recognises the clear need for additional specialist provision in Wolverhampton and brings us a step closer to delivering this fantastic new school,” Councillor Jacqui Coogan, cabinet member for education, said.
She added that the plans will help ensure more pupils with additional needs can access high-quality education and support closer to home, and thanked those involved in bringing the proposals to this stage.
Design and planning details
Astley Partnership provided the designs and planning support for the proposals. Documents and plans relating to the application are available on the council’s planning portal under reference 26/00496/FUL.
- Site: Whitburn Close, Pendeford (former Priory Green offices).
- Build cost: £16.4 million (Department for Education-backed).
- Capacity: increase from 75 to 120 places.
- Age range: current 3–11 to proposed up to 19 years.
- Next step: final sign-off required from the Department for Education.
Local impact and context
Broadmeadow Special School currently serves younger primary-age pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. The proposed expansion would allow older pupils to remain within the same specialist provision until the end of their statutory schooling, reducing the need for families to find provision outside Wolverhampton.
Council planning documents underscore the pressures on specialist places locally and frame the development as a strategic investment in inclusive education across the city. By repurposing vacant office land, the scheme also addresses local land use while centralising specialist support on a single, purpose-built campus.
| Current | Proposed |
|---|---|
| Places: 75 | Places: 120 |
| Age range: 3–11 | Age range: 3–19 |
| Site: West Park | Site: Whitburn Close (3.5 acres) |
Local families, education leaders and campaigners often say that access to suitable specialist provision is a critical issue. The council’s report highlights projected demand growth and frames the project as essential to meeting both current shortfalls and future needs. If the Department for Education grants the final approval, the council can move to tender and delivery stages.
Astley Partnership’s involvement provides architectural and planning continuity, with full application documents publicly available on Wolverhampton’s planning portal for residents and stakeholders to review.
The council said it looked forward to securing the Department for Education’s final decision and progressing the project so that children and young people across Wolverhampton can benefit from improved, local specialist provision.
