Expanding an ‘extremely popular’ school to take on more children is set to cost more than £1m extra than was originally set out.

The plan will see Rumworth School, which caters for children with complex and learning difficulties and additional needs, extended with a new teaching block aimed at providing an additional 140 places.

The extension had originally been planned to cost £3.6m but at a meeting this week Bolton Council heard how this has soared to just over £4.8million due to inflation and the effect of the Covid-19 crisis.

Cabinet member for children’s services Cllr Anne Galloway said: “The budget for the expansion at Rumworth School had to be increased due to the inflation in construction costs post-pandemic. 

“Rumworth is an extremely popular special school with an excellent reputation and with the pressing need for the extra 150 places which the expansion will provide, it is important that there is sufficient in the budget to provide for the extra classrooms.”

As well as rising costs, the council also heard how insurance prices for building works would come to more than £250,000.

The initial plan was first approved in October 2020 and came after Rumworth had already almost doubled the number of places it provides over the previous decade.

The new teaching block is set to include spaces for 14 additional classrooms and extra resource space to support future needs.

The extra 140 places will allow the school to accommodate 400 pupils overall and comes with schools all over Bolton feeling the pressure of rising pupil numbers after a dramatic increase in the demand for school places over the last 10 years.

Opposition spokesperson for education Cllr Kevin McKeon said: “Rumworth is an outstanding school which provides an excellent academic and educational setting for its pupils.

“I’m delighted that it will be expanded and I’m sure many, many young people and their parents will benefit from this.”

Addressing the rising costs he added: “At the moment throughout the construction industry costs seem to be rising and my reading of it is that is seems to be a supply issue.”