Council agrees to allow school trust to take over Castleford Civic Centre site
Senior councillors have agreed to allow a school trust to take over the site of Castleford Civic Centre to enable new education facilities to be built.
Castleford Academy Trust will redevelop the site to integrate educational and community facilities once the building has been demolished.
Wakefield Council’s cabinet members approved proposals for the trust to acquire the publicly-owned site to allow the school to expand facilities for youngsters with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
A meeting was told the new buildings would also include an arts centre to be used by the town’s community groups.
Council leader Denise Jeffery said: “Securing a long-term plan for the redevelopment of this site – for the benefit of our local community – has been an important priority for us.
“It’s great news that we’ve been able to work with Castleford Academy to enable plans for a brilliant, much-needed facility for the local community.
“A multi-functional space will not only improve educational outcomes for thousands of children including those with special educational needs and disabilities.
“It will also provide the community and arts organisations with a state-of-the-art performance venue which will help us to enhance cultural opportunities in the town.”
A report to councillors said Castleford Academy was an oversubscribed school offering an outstanding education to the young people.
The document said: “The academy is on a landlocked site and has limited scope for expansion.
“A recent review of the academy highlighted a significant shortage of classrooms that met expected capacity requirements, in particular, a lack of capacity for specialist spaces to deliver subjects such as engineering, construction and performing arts.
“Demolition of the current civic centre building would provide an opportunity for the new school building to enhance the school’s existing hearing impairment integrated resource base and deliver improved outcomes more widely for children with SEND.”
Cabinet members also agreed to spend £1.5m to demolish the building and prepare the site for development.
The will be transferred to the trust by the end of March next year.
Coun Jeffery told the meeting: “It will be a loss of a community asset in Castleford.
“We have a variety of talent in Castleford – choirs, bands, different groups – all wanting somewhere where they can actually go and perform.
“Losing the civic centre will be sad for them in a way because they have been using it.
“We have had assurances that part of this project will be that we move forward with an arts centre and facilities that will be used by all the community groups and the people of Castleford.
“The people of Castleford feel that that is their building so they want it replaced with something that matters to them.”
George Panayiotou, chief executive of Castleford Academy Trust, said: “This is a landmark moment for education and community provision in Castleford.
“The opportunity to redevelop the site as part of the Department for Education’s school rebuild programme will allow us to expand our outstanding provision for children who attend the school, including pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, particularly through our highly regarded resource base for deaf children.
“This investment represents a powerful commitment from the council to the young people and families of our town.
“It will enable us to deliver modern, inclusive, and high-quality facilities that meet the growing needs of our community and we are proud to be leading this exciting new chapter for Castleford.”
The 700-capacity centre opened in 1970 and has been used to host concerts and weddings.
More than 300 council staff were also based at the building on Ferrybridge Road.
The council had considered selling off the site since 2023 to bridge a budget shortfall.
Last summer, the authority said the building could not be sold during the 2024-25 financial year and would remain in public ownership until at least the end of March this year.
The Assembly Hall, the main function room for events at the site, was closed in October.
Last July, community groups sent an open letter to council leaders calling for the centre to be saved.
It was signed by organisations including Castleford Young Musicians, Encore Theatre Company and Castleford Male Voice Choir.
However, the council said it had to take the “difficult decision” to put the building on the market in a bid to ensure its finances were “sustainable”.