Seashell Trust cracks on with next stage of Stockport complex
The results of a building survey at the charity’s existing college campus have prompted “urgent and unprecedented action” to close the facility and build a new one.
Seashell Trust was granted outline planning permission for the redevelopment of its Stanley Road special educational needs complex in April 2020 following a successful appeal.
The first element of this vision, the £23m Royal School Manchester, is complete.
The next stage will see a 55,000 sq ft college complex built on a 2.4-acre chunk of Seashell Trust’s Cheadle Hulme campus.
Designed by Faulkner Browns Architects, the scheme would feature classrooms and sports facilities, as well as space for administrative and training functions.
The existing college building would be demolished.
A structural survey carried out this spring uncovered the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, which was once commonly used in construction but has now been found to have structural issues.
As a result, staff and students at the college have been forced to move out of the building and are currently based within the former school building, Dockray, which became vacant when the new school opened earlier this year.
The sudden relocation has caused significant “operational challenges”, according to a planning statement prepared by NJL Consulting.
“The trust must carry out and complete the next phase of the transformation project as swiftly as possible to reduce the harm and negative impact to its students,” NJL said.
To learn more, search for application reference DC/089288 on Stockport Council’s planning portal.
