A former boarding school bought by Dorset Council for more than £10 million is set to be transformed into a new hub for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

The council announced last week it had purchased St Mary's School near Shaftesbury, which closed down last year after falling into administration.

The site comprises 165,000 sq ft of accommodation set within grounds of 55 acres - the council said opportunities to secure sites like this for Dorset are 'very rare'.

It now says it wants to work with local people to create a new school which it hopes will be the centrepiece of a wider campus offering excellent educational and community facilities for Dorset children and adults. Providing such a facility would mean local children not having to travel out of the county.

Residents, community and stakeholder groups are being asked to examine proposed plans and share their views when a consultation starts on February 4. All views will be considered before final decisions are made.

Leader of the council Cllr Spencer Flower said: “We are very ambitious for this site and for our children and young people who have special educational needs. I’m pleased that we have been able to secure St Mary’s so it can remain a resource for our communities and benefit the people of Dorset for generations to come. Importantly this move could also save revenue expenditure in the longer term."

He added: “Currently pupils with special educational needs often have to travel far outside Dorset, as there is just not enough educational provision closer to home. This is not good for Dorset children and young people. It also costs significantly more, as buying this external provision outside of our county is more expensive and travel costs are much higher too."

Cllr Flower said it would cost far more and take several years to build a facility.

He added: “We now want to work with local people and groups to create an amazing facility that will be a community and educational resource for people in Dorset of all ages. It is a fantastic facility set in substantial grounds of about 55 acres. This offers exciting potential for many other community and service uses too, which we will be exploring in partnership with local people and community groups, so together we can get the maximum benefit from this investment in the interest of Dorset residents”.

Dorset Council says as well as the SEND provision the site could also include provision for supported living for care leavers, adults with educational needs and disabilities, as well as a possible site for businesses.