Major plans to rebuild a West Cumbrian school is likely to get the go-head next week.
Cockermouth School’s current buildings are at the end of their useable life and a planning application has been lodged to create new school buildings on the site.
The school’s application said: “The school currently operates from seven buildings of various ages which present significant challenges in terms of functionality, accessibility, energy efficiency and overall suitability for the delivery of modern education.”
Three of its buildings date from 1958 and more were added in the 1960s. The Eco Centre and some modular classrooms were created in 2008.
It wants to demolish the seven buildings and consolidate all teaching provision in a single new building, plus separate sports provision and three pastoral hubs on the site.
If the plan gets the go-ahead, the school, on Castlegate Drive, will remain operational throughout the demolition and subsequent building work.
A feasibility study was carried out by the Department for Education to explore options for the site and it identified the preferred solution of building a new school.
A special meeting of Cumberland Council’s planning committee is due to be held on Friday, June 19, to consider the application.
It is being considered by the committee because it is considered to be of a strategic scale and significance that would need consideration in the public interest.
It has been recommended for approval.
Once the replacement school building is completed and occupied, the existing school will be demolished and replaced with sports pitches and an area of parking.
A report to the committee said: “The proposals will also be complemented by 140 car parking spaces, including 17 accessible spaces as well as 40 cycle spaces, a SEN garden and habitat planting alongside other landscaping.
“Three main areas of playground comprising of a mix of hard and soft landscaping are proposed adjacent to the main teaching building.
“Two areas of habitat planting are proposed along the site’s eastern and western boundaries with the latter area to be the largest of the two.
“It is estimated that the development would be constructed over a 40-week period. The proposed development would be temporary with an estimated lifespan of 40 years, after which time the equipment would be removed and the site returned to its original state.”
During the consultation period there were seven letters of representation commenting on the application which raised issues including the impact on flooding to neighbouring properties due to surface water run-off; highways issues; and that parking on surrounding streets should be limited to residents only.
There were some comments which supported the proposals because the current architectural style was poor but the ‘building should not be clad in plastic like the majority of new schools’.
One resident fully supported the application because the school was in ‘desperate need of an upgrade and should be fully supported to allow the school to thrive’.
