Old offices to be turned into classrooms to support special need pupils

NEW classrooms are to be created for special needs pupils.

Impact North West, a specialist education provider, has received permission to carry out its operations from Astbury House in Winsford.

This will include offering part-time education for students aged 11 to 16 who have been referred by schools in Cheshire East and Cheshire West.

A spokesperson for Impact North West said: “We are an established organisation which has supported more than a hundred students to date, preventing permanent exclusions and working with partner agencies to support unmet special educational needs.

“The students attending Impact North West will participate in a vocational and tailored curriculum in order to address any additional needs they have, working with our commissioning schools to re-engage them back into full-time education.”

Notice of the planning application outside Astbury House (Image: CWAC)

Astbury House in Bradford Road has been vacant since at least June 2023 but was previously the head office of Compass Minerals.

A planning application for a change of use from offices to education was submitted last October.

It states the site would accommodate up to 20 students at any one time along with between six and 10 members of staff.

Impact North West will run morning sessions from 9am to 12pm and afternoon sessions from 12.30pm to 3pm.

On Monday (June 24), the plans were greenlit by Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Astbury House was previously the head office of Compass Minerals (Image: Supplied)

In a report recommending the decision, case officer Craig Waite wrote: “To conclude, the proposed development of changing the use of Astbury House from Offices to Education is acceptable in principle.

“The change of use will not impact the design of the building or the amenity of neighbouring properties and is acceptable from a highways point of view.

“The application is therefore recommended for approval.”