Councillors acknowledged a need for additional places as they approved the expansion of a special school in Farnworth.

Bolton Council applied for planning permission for the expansion of Green Fold Special School in the spring of this year.

The work, which is worth around £8.6 million up from an early estimate of around £6.8 million, includes a single-storey extension at both the Lower Orchards site and the Upper Orchards site, both on Highfield Road, which it shares with its sister schools Cherry Tree Primary School and The Orchards Nursery School. 

It includes the addition of a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) next to Windermere Road to address a loss of open space and the relocation of the nursery school from the Lower Orchards site to the Upper Orchards site.

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A report said: "The enlargement of Green Fold Special School is a part of a strategy to increase special school capacity in the borough and to respond to identified demand from families for school places for their children.

"The programme is welcomed by the Department for Education who are supporting its delivery with additional SEND Safety Valve funding."

There were two separate applications for planning permission for the Lower Orchards site and the Upper Orchards site both of which were recommended for approval.

Councillors acknowledged a need for additional places as they approved the two separate applications at a meeting of the planning committee at the town hall this week.

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Paul Sanders, a councillor for Farnworth South, said: "Green Fold Special School is a wonderful school and, recently, it was awarded 'Outstanding' by Ofsted so the community are supportive of its multi-million-pound expansion."

Cllr Sanders said: "When I look at the report the positive impacts of the development outweigh the negative impacts of the development [on on-street parking]. While I note the need for the conversation to continue between all parties in terms of on-street parking I am happy to approve the applications."

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.