Specialist college secures planning permission for 10,000 square foot site

Ascent Autism Specialist College has announced it has secured planning permission for a brand-new location, which will see the college significantly increase student enrolment numbers and provide enhanced facilities to meet students’ individual needs.

The 10,300sqft building at 11 The Parks, Newton-le-Willows, will enable the college to grow its capacity from 36 students to up to 60, with 40 students set to be enrolled in the next academic year.

The new site comes as college leaders want to provide bespoke facilities to meet their learning and training needs.

In recent years, the college has taken huge strides to expand its training abilities and enable students to acquire transferrable life skills that will support them in living happy and fulfilled lives beyond the college.

The impressive new site boasts several multi-use rooms and spaces that will each be transformed into designated learning and training areas.

The new state-of-the-art kitchen will allow students to learn catering skills and gain a greater sense of independence for preparing their own meals. The stylish common room will serve as a central hub at the college and enable students to relax and socialise with their peers.

The outdoor student wellbeing area has been developed to ensure students can benefit from outdoor learning experiences to boost mental, social, and emotional wellbeing. The outdoor learning space will be home to animals, flowers and plants, all of which the college students will care for.

At the college’s current site in Newton-le-Willows, students can spend time in the print shop to explore crafts, arts and print-branded merchandise items for college events.

Head of adult services at Ascent Autism Specialist College, Julliet Doherty, said: “The Ascent College building will serve as a welcoming, inclusive and nurturing environment where each student can access a wealth of in-house opportunities to support their development.

“With a larger space, we can open our doors to new students and ultimately, support and empower them to lead happy and fulfilled lives.”

Plans for current students to transition into the new site are set for November with the college being fully operational from January 2025.

Ascent Autism Specialist College is part of the Remarkable Autism Charity. The charity supports autistic individuals aged five to 25 through integrated services, including Wargrave House School and Sundial Therapy.

CEO of Remarkable Autism Charity, Robin Bush, commented on the exciting news. He said: “I am absolutely delighted that we have secured planning permission for our new Ascent College building. We have been looking for alternative premises for over two years and have had several false dawns, to get this over the line is a testament to the hard work of our whole project team.

Robin added: “The Parks offers an exciting opportunity to further expand on the world-leading services provided by the Ascent team. We will have more space to support our students to achieve the outcomes they wish for their lives and realise their ambitions. It’s a remarkable opportunity for our remarkable people”

Recently, Remarkable Autism announced its central operations had acquired a new home off East Lancashire Road in Lowton. The news comes as the charity also has ambitious growth plans for its central team.