MP urges Sheffield College to reopen Peaks Campus as soon as possible

The college announced yesterday (December 5) that Peaks Campus on Waterthorpe Greenway will reopen in September 2024, a year after it closed, as a specialist centre for students aged 16 to 24 with high needs.

The college said the campus will provide a curriculum that prepares students for adulthood, independence, employment and community participation. The building will be adapted with facilities such as quiet spaces, sensory rooms and an independent living suite.

Sheffield South East MP Clive Betts had called for the college to “hit the brakes” on its decision to close the Peaks Campus and called for Sheffield City Council to have talks with the organisation to find a future use for the building.

The Labour MP said in May: “I am incredibly concerned about the decision to close the Peaks Campus. One of the great assets of Sheffield College is having sites across the city, and to lose this one seems like a step in the wrong direction.”

Local councillors, students and families also urged a rethink in consultations but the closure went ahead.

Mr Betts said: “When Sheffield College announced they were closing their Peaks Campus I was clear that under no circumstances should the building simply be left empty and unused.

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“I called for the initial meeting between the council and Sheffield College earlier this year when the news broke that the campus would closed and received the commitment that they would be coordinating together on this.

“A lot of work has been put in since to make sure the site had a future use for Sheffield, and while there will be further work to undertake I welcome the announcement that the campus will reopen as a specialist high-needs education centre.

“Like the rest of the country, Sheffield faces huge pressures on SEND provision and supporting young people with specific needs.

"This plan will be a big step in helping address that and I want to make sure we can have the campus reopened in this capacity as soon as possible.”