New Blyth special needs school plan approved

Gilbert Ward Academy will have 80 spaces for children aged 11 to 16

Plans for a new special needs school in Blyth have been approved.

Gilbert Ward Academy will provide 80 places for pupils aged 11 to 16 with autism and social, emotional and mental health needs.

It will be built on the site of the demolished Princess Louise First School in the Northumberland town, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Approving the plan, Northumberland County Council was told there was a "clear need for this type of school".

'Eyesore'

The site will also include a multi-use games area open to the community, the council's strategic planning committee heard.

Isabella ward councillor Anna Watson said: "There is a clear need in Northumberland for this type of school."

She said the site had become "a bit of an eyesore" since it was last used in 2016.

The new school is named after Dr Gilbert Ward, who helped set up Blyth's first hospital and was known for treating survivors of the New Hartley pit disaster.

The two-storey school will be built on land on the southern side of Princess Louise Road, where the old school once stood, while a 40-space staff car park will be built on the northern side next to the Blyth Sports Centre car park.