Mill building could become private SEND school

The proposed school would be based in Cumberland House on Cemetery Road

An empty mill building in Bradford could be converted into an independent school for up to 250 pupils with special educational needs (SEND) if plans are approved.

Pivot Academy – an organisation which already runs two schools in West Yorkshire - has applied for planning permission to convert Cumberland House on Cemetery Road, which has been empty since 2023.

Cumberland House was once part of a sprawling development of Victorian mill buildings and workers' homes but was more recently converted into office space.

According to the application submitted to Bradford Council, Pivot Academy would offer places for learners with complex social, emotional, mental health and other associated needs.

It said: "Pivot Academy offers educational pathways which reflect the individual needs of the students, that helps them to achieve their potential, and equip them for a successful life beyond school.

"The mills on Greenside Lane and in the wider Bradford area are important reminders of the city's industrial past and its contribution to the Industrial Revolution.

"It is therefore important that sustainable uses for these structures are approved by the local planning authority to ensure their continued survival."

Pivot Academy currently has two schools: Leeds Academy and Kirklees Academy.

According to the application, the school would eventually have up to 250 pupils and 110 teaching staff.

It said the transformation from an office building to a school would require "significant alterations and improvements".

"The proposed change of use from commercial office to educational use would provide a sustainable use and secure the future of this historical asset.

"The Pivot Group are willing to invest in this historic mill building and therefore ensuring a sustainable future going forward," it said.

Pivot Academy applied to open a school in an empty office building off Canal Road in Bradford last year, which was refused due to concerns that access to the site was "unsafe" for pupils.

A decision on the application is expected next month, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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