Silverwood 'super school' approved by Wiltshire Council

Silverwood will merge three Wiltshire specialist schools

A £38m planning application for a "super school" to replace three schools in Wiltshire has been approved.

Silverwood School will be specially designed to cater for 350 children with disabilities and special needs.

The application to extend the former Rowdeford School was given the green light by councillors on Tuesday.

Campaigners had previously rejected the idea of the three special schools merging, saying no-one would be able to walk to the new location.

Silverwood brings together Larkrise in Trowbridge, Rowdeford and St Nicholas in Chippenham, which are currently classed as Silverwood campuses.

The new "super school" will include a two-storey teaching building with a hydrotherapy pool, a new all-weather sports pitch, playing fields and parking, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Sean McKeown, executive headteacher for Silverwood, said: "Now we have the opportunity to afford our pupils the absolute best and the proposed build will bring the most up-to-date facilities and enable more pupils to experience a greater quality of provision."

The build is due to be completed by September 2023.