AN ANDOVER school has submitted plans to build an extension as it prepares to welcome more pupils next year.

Icknield School, on River Way, has applied for planning permission to build a three-classroom extension with associated toilet facilities and a hygiene room.

It comes as the school, which caters for pupils with special educational needs, is due to provide an additional ten pupil places according to Hampshire County Council, after plans for its expansion was approved by Cllr Roz Chadd earlier this year.

Icknield are also planning to remodel parts of the existing building to improve circulation and provide learning resource areas, whilst all classrooms will be refurbished and access will be improved by widening external doorways.

But headteacher Sean Cannon said that the refurbishment will see the school lose a classroom as well.

The extension will be located to the south of the existing building and also feature a new staff room and storage space.

The positioning of the extension in the south-east corner allows the new classrooms ease of access to all play areas, including early years.

The application documents continue: "Along with being fully inclusive and fitted with hoists, the classrooms are designed to suit all needs making them flexible and adaptable to suit the school’s requirements."

As part of plans to provide ten extra pupil places, three extra staff are to be hired at the school. The application states that parking facilities, provided on land to the north of the school that is currently owned by Test Valley Borough Council, is sufficient.

Meanwhile, the planning application states that the project will have "low energy consumption, low maintenance, high reliability, user friendly installations appropriate for the building users and their specific needs".

To find out more and add your comment, go to planning.hants.gov.uk and search reference number HCC/2021/0594.