By George Lythgoe

Plans to build a new special educational needs school in Hazel Grove have been approved by Stockport Council Planning Committee.

The school will be named Laurus Grace and built on the current site of Hazel Grove High school off Jacksons Lane. The proposal put forward by the Department for Education and Tilbury Douglas Construction Ltd is for a two storey building with seven SEN classrooms and 10 general use classrooms.

The development will provide education for up to 80 pupils and contain a fitness studio,  engineering suite, and a car park with 100 spaces, allowing more children with additional needs will be able to attend lessons closer to their homes. 

This will be built on the old tennis and netball courts of the current high school which are currently unused. The planning committee meeting at Stockport Town Hall heard how this would actually be a provision gain for the school, who will get replacement courts that would not go unused.

Committee chair, Cllr Steve Gribbon, said: "Hazel Grove High School is a fantastic space. This space being used (the garages and old netball courts) is a blot on the landscape and was crying out for a change of use."

Councillors in the chamber heaped praise on this new unit, saying they hoped it would become a great venue for those with additional educational needs. This will provide more places for SEND children within the borough, meaning many children will face less of a commute to school, the committee heard.

Cllr Rachel Wise said: "It is extraordinary to think how difficult it is for young people to find a school. This means that more young people from Stockport can be educated in Stockport, rather than going to far away places."

Cllr Wendy Meikle added: "We should be embracing people with educational needs and not putting them in a place where they can't be seen. Hopefully they will be accepted and looked after by the able-bodied young people next door."

The new school, which would form part of the Laurus Trust, was approved by the committee on August 17.

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