Plans have been lodged to transform a former health centre into a special school for 60 children.

Little Lever Health Centre on Mytham Road, which has been replaced by a a new building, is at the centre of the proposals.

Applicants Your Chapter Ltd said the school will cater for young people with special needs who are likely to have a diagnosis of high functioning autism.

Changes to the building will be a new security fence to the front and a play area to the rear.

The school is proposed to be a small independent special school catering for up to 60 young people from the ages of nine to 16 – providing full time education in a therapeutic environment. Your Chapter operates around 20 sites across the North West, Yorkshire, Shropshire and Wales.

Their website states they aim to provide a ‘welcoming and supportive environment where young people can feel at home’. A design and access statement in support of the plans, said: “The vision is to help children and young people to develop their social independence and educational skills so that they can fulfil their aspirations and potential.

“The school will offer a range of bespoke high quality educational care for young people within a safe and homely environment and has been specifically designed to support individuals in leading active and independent lives.”

Your Chapter said they work in partnership with councils and parents to provide the right framework to allow children, who might otherwise be unable to attend school, to flourish.

The application, added: “The aim is to cater for 60 children in total, however with a maximum of 50 on site at the school at any one time.

“The children will be supported by a team of 20 staff, both on and off-site.”

If approved, the school will be open for children from 8.30am with a staggered start up to 9am, until between 3pm and 3.30pm with a staggered finish for different age groups.

Full time staff will arrive around 8am and leave around 4.30pm. The plans will reduce the number of car parking spaces from the 27 required for the health centre to 12, with the area created being allocated for outdoor play.

The report said the children will mainly arrive via education transport, meaning that there will be multiple children in each vehicle, reducing the number of vehicles accessing the site each day.

Bolton Council will now consider the change of use application.