Office block could be turned into Send school

The building has previously also been used as a nursery, a care home and a council training centre

A single-storey office block could be re-developed into a school for children with special educational needs (Send), if planners give it the green light.

Guildhall Academy Ltd is seeking permission for the change of use at 65B George Eliot Road in Foleshill, explaining they would be serving an "acute need" in Coventry.

A planning statement sent to Coventry City Council explained the building, which is sandwiched between houses and the canal, has had a varied history, having been a nursery, care home and council training centre.

The new plans would see up to 35 places for pupils being made available, with 15 members of staff.

The document, drawn up by Worcester-based consultants Addison Rees, said the applicants already work with the council on issues relating to children with special educational needs.

It said: "The applicants are aware of the acute need for such specialist school provision, with children having been at home for the past two years due to no school being able to take them on.

"The applicants have been searching for a site suitable to provide the specialist school, and have been very fortunate to find the application site, located in a highly sustainable location, near to existing schools."

'No external alterations'

The document details how the building has its own vehicular access and parking, an outdoor amenity area, and its size offers scope for a flexible layout to provide for pupils.

It also highlighted the national shortage of suitable school places, stating that a House of Commons committee report in September found there were an estimated 1.7 million school-aged Send children in England.

No external alterations would be carried out if the plans are approved and the school would run from 08:50 to 16:00, although not all the children would be full-time, and pupils would arrive and leave by minibus.

There would be a parking space for the minibus and 13 cars on the existing hardstanding, the document adds.

"The proposals would result in significantly fewer vehicle trips to and from the site," it says.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.