A school could make use of a shut-down play centre in Stevenage.
Bandley Hill Play Centre was one of three earmarked for closure in Stevenage Borough Council’s 2023/24 budget.
Authority members cut the play service when they scrambled to balance this year’s budget – a legal duty for local authorities – earlier in 2023.
The service, which the council ran by choice, would have cost £601,000 across Pin Green, St Nicholas and Bandley Hill throughout this financial year, according to budget papers.
Greenside School has since applied for a change of use at the play centre – from a “community centre” into a “school”.
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In documents on the council website, the Ofsted “good”-rated school has said using the building could help it develop an “innovative play-based approach” to learning.
The plan would not be to establish an additional class, but using Bandley Hill as extra space could help staff better use their Shephall Green site.
A Stevenage Borough Council spokesperson said: “Due to the council’s funding position, we could no longer run the free play service.
“However, one of our aims was to re-purpose the building, which means they are still used.
“We marketed the site and the school had a need for the building which provides a service to the community.”
Greenside School, for children with severe learning disabilities, is co-located with Barnwell Middle School.
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