MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTRE AND COLLEGE CAMPUS

Plans for the development of an outdoor education centre and specialist college in Sandiway have been unveiled.

The build at Petty Pool College site known as ‘Project Learn Hive’ is proposed across three phases to include a new residential outdoor centre, a community hub and updated state of the art college campus for up to 160 young people who have learning disabilities and difficulties.

Designed by Squires and Brown and Land Studios, overseen by CV Planning, the inclusive project will also include a community hub that will offer a café, shop and multi-purpose space for sporting activity, arts and performance with an outdoor learning space. This will enhance the local area and benefit both the surrounding community and learners at Petty Pool.

If granted permission, the new outdoor education centre will offer a broad range of activities and cater for residentials for up to 60 school children at a time. It is anticipated over 6000 local school children per year, as well as people from other community groups and College learners will benefit from the new centre and the changes will be a huge asset to local families in Cheshire and beyond.

Petty Pool is a registered charity that was first established as Mid Cheshire Sheltered Workshop in 1981 and was recently named as being in the top 5 Best Companies to work for nationally in the Education and Training sector.

Petty Pool CEO, Sally Garratt comments:

“Petty Pool is a fantastic place to work, learn and explore, with such an inclusive and diverse offer for young people embarking on their next chapter of college life, we want to ensure that the charity is sustainable for the long term and meets the needs of our community in Cheshire.

The current plans represent a major development of our outdoor centre and college campus that will ensure it is a centre of excellence and a true jewel in the crown of our local community.”

A series of engagement events are being run by Petty Pool Trust to highlight the ambitious plans to local residents and key stakeholders.

Petty Pool Estates and Facilities Manager, Tom Coe comments:

“We are fortunate to have a large campus in 40-acres of ancient woodland that is the ideal setting for this new and exciting development.

Some of our current buildings are reaching their life expectancy and need updating so that we can continue to provide quality learning opportunities for young people in Cheshire.”

It is anticipated that, if given the green light, the full project will take 8 years to complete and will cost in the region of £11 million.

The charity is launching a fundraising campaign to secure the capital.

Pictured - Image of the future Outdoor Education Centre.