Plans to convert a former dementia centre into a special school in Blackburn now have contractor tender bids for the £1m project.
The school will help 60 children with special needs. These kids have social, emotional, or mental health needs. The building has been empty for years. It got damaged by vandals.
The council is looking for contractors to do the work. Councillor Mahmood started the bidding process. They need people for three different jobs. The jobs will upgrade the old building.
The project will create classrooms for the students, and it will have a dining hall and a kitchen. They plan to fix windows and the roof first. Then, they will remodel the inside and might also landscape outside.
The project has three phases: The window work starts in April 2025 and ends in June 2025, roof repairs begin in July 2025 and finish in September, and inside work lasts from October 2025 to May 2026.
The building needs the work to protect it; the repairs will make the building secure. Local companies can bid for the jobs. The new school will offer needed education.
This project helps the council’s plan. Blackburn wants more options for students because some students need different schooling and mainstream schools don’t always work for them.