(UK) Lanks: $40M proposed to expand special needs support in schools
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Feb 16, 2026, Burnley Express: Lancashire County Council plans to expand SEND provision for secondary school pupils in Burnley
Plans to expand special needs provision in Burnley schools have been considered by Lancashire county councillors.
Burnley has been identified as a priority district for a Secondary aged provision, following the existing Primary units for speech, language and communication already in place in the area at Brunshaw Primary and Barden Primary.
Lancashire County Council is currently working with local schools in the area to identify a suitable mainstream secondary school in which to develop this provision.
The county council’s cabinet members have looked at the SEND Capital Plan for 2026/27, which sets out plans to increase SEND provision for children and young people across the county.
It aims to ensure education places are available for children and young people with SEND, and as close to home as possible, in the wake of a critical inspection last year.
As part of its SEND Strategy and the Priority Action Plan, the county council has seen a rapid turnaround in SEND efficiency since May.
County Coun. Matthew Salter, cabinet member for Education and Skills, said: “I am pleased that serious investments will be made to improve inclusion and better meet the needs of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
“We want to build much needed capacity across Lancashire, with funding for SEND units and opportunities for mainstream schools and maintained nurseries to improve inclusion, and increasing special school provision through expansions and new schools to serve Lancashire children. This is all based on a thorough analysis of the needs within Lancashire and a clear strategy to meet those needs.”
The move means that a range of provision such as new special schools, expansions of existing sites and post-19 settings, and more SEND units across Lancashire could be in the pipeline in future.
Funding will come from the DfE's high Needs Provision Capital Allocation (HNPCA), a government grant for supporting places for children and young people with SEND.
With £4.5m. of the existing Lancashire allocation already funding current projects, it's estimated that the proposed new batch would cost a total of £30m [$40M], subject to feedback from formal consultation and costings. . . .
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