New school proposed for £1.8m 5-bed farmhouse site near Leyland

The Witherslack Group want to use Singleton's Farm in Midge Hall Lane, near Leyland, to create a school for up to 46 children aged 11 to 18 with special educational needs.

The five-bed property with swimming pool and tennis courts was recently on the market for £1.8m.

Click here to see pictures inside the property

The school would employ 35 staff - 20 full time and 15 part time - and would be used between 8am and 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Plans are to predominantly use the confines of the existing house and associated outbuildings, although it is proposed to install polytunnels within the grounds for the purposes of teaching agricultural and horticultural lessons.

"Indistinguishable from the existing”

The Group states: "Only very minor and localised alterations will be made to the existing buildings facades which will look to utilise matching materials throughout. All existing roof coverings will be retained, and small localised openings will only be created where there is a necessity for pedestrian access/escape or additional light provision.

"It is the intention that the general appearance of the buildings will be largely unaltered by the development and so the proposed would be almost indistinguishable from the existing when viewed from the public realm."

Parking and access

Thirty car parking spaces, inclusive of minibus, disabled and EV charging provision, are proposed based on the proposed level of pupil and staffing numbers.

To facilitate safe vehicular access into the site, the upgrading of the existing access track leading into the site from Midge Hall Lane is proposed

Witherslack Group

The Witherslack Group is the UK’s leading provider of specialist education and care for children and young people with a range of special needs including, communication difficulties (autistic spectrum conditions, Asperger’s Syndrome, speech, language and communication needs) and complex learning needs.

The Witherslack Group operates specialist schools, children’s homes, and vocational training centres.

The Group currently operates 29 schools, 24 children’s homes, three vocational training centres and seven integrated children’s homes and learning centre facilities.

The Group has expanded significantly over a number of years and now provides care and education for over 1,400 young people, employing more than 2,000 staff at its establishments in the North East, Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Windsor, the Midlands and the North West of England.