COUNCILLORS will decide on plans to build two temporary classrooms on land at a Carlisle school this week.

Cumbria County Council’s development control and regulation committee is set to meet in Kendal on Friday to give a verdict on a number of applications.

The county council’s committee decides mainly on planning applications that involve waste disposal or mineral extraction.

Proposals are also dealt with by the committee if they relate to developments by the county council.

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Any other planning matters are the responsibility of the city and borough councils in their relevant areas.

The proposal for two temporary classrooms in a modular building has been submitted for James Rennie School in Carlisle.

Plans are designed to meet demand for Specialist Educational Needs provision until the school’s new sixth form facility is launched.

The case officer’s report set to be discussed by councillors on Friday reads: “The modular building is required to provide additional 18 Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) pupil places and 16 additional staff for the commencement of the autumn term 2022 (September 2022).

“The temporary classroom is required at James Rennie School whilst more permanent accommodation is developed off-site.

“The modular building would measure 16.8 m x 9.8m. The accommodation would provide two temporary classrooms with a shared entrance lobby, toilets including an accessible toilet and stores and a common entrance. A new 1.5m high fence would be required to the north and south of the temporary building.”

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Cumbria County Council announced in June that it would invest the best part of £1 million into the creation of new SEN sixth form facilities for two of the area’s schools, James Rennie and Mayfield in Whitehaven.

Sixth form provision will be made available for Mayfield at the site of St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, which is otherwise set to close down due to falling attendance levels.

James Rennie’s permanent provision will be based in St Edmund’s Church space on Orton Road.

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