By George Lythgoe

Plans for the next phase of development for a special education school in Stockport have been lodged – after staff and pupils were forced to move out an old building due to 'structural issues.' 

Following their unveiling of a new £23 million facility at Royal School Manchester earlier this year, the latest plan from The Seashell Trust for a new college, administration, sports and training building has been submitted for approval for their Cheadle Hulme based site. 

The old building, which is no longer fit for purpose, would be demolished and replaced by the new block.

The Trust had no choice but to temporarily relocate staff and students from the existing college building into the former school building – Dockray. The old school building became vacant on the completion of the first phase of redevelopment back in February 2023. 

The Seashell Trust is a nationally recognised charity based in Cheadle Hulme, which operates as a residential school (Royal School Manchester) and college (Royal College Manchester) for children and young people. Seashell specialises in providing education and care to children and young people with some of the most complex neuro-disabilities in society, including a combination of deafness, blindness and autism, attendant with profound physical and multiple learning disabilities.

The new multi-million pound building would provide for up to 80 students (Image - Stockport Council / Seashell)

This new college building proposal for up to 80 students would share the recently built facilities at the Moulding Foundation Building off Stanley Road. The multi-million pound site, next door to where the new college would be, includes an assembly hall for 200 people, a dining hall, a high-tech audiology suite and a swimming centre.

As the planning statement said: "This immediate forced closure of the existing college has now placed the Trust in the unenviable position of having to deliver this next phase as swiftly as possible, to reduce the harm and negative impact to students and staff as a result of moving to a building which is no longer fit for purpose.

"In order to expedite the delivery of the new college, sports and admin building and ensure that the Trust have all options available on funding solutions from DfE and SMBC's education department, the Trust has determined that the best solution is a full planning application which addresses as much potential pre-start conditionality as possible."

No decision on the application has been made by Stockport Council yet.

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