The Castle @ Theale ball court and car park plans approved by West Berkshire Council

Plans for the construction of a ball court and a car park have been approved on the site of a new special needs school in Theale.

The Castle @ Theale, a new specialist educational centre for students with social, emotional and mental health difficulties and autism, is set to open in September.

The centre is being built on the grounds of the old Theale Primary School, with some of the former school’s buildings being incorporated into the new build and others being demolished.

During the project’s final consultancy stages, West Berkshire Council’s executive member for education, Dominic Boeck (Con, Aldermaston) stated that he hoped the new school would be, “an excellent space for these young people to grow both emotionally and educationally”.

The new facility will be run and managed as a satellite provision by the Castle School in Newbury and will have capacity for up to 42 secondary aged learners.