Portishead primary school plans extension

A Portishead primary school wants to build an extension to its premises to improve facilities for a disabled pupil.

St Joseph’s Primary School, in Bristol Road, is seeking planning permission from North Somerset Council to create a therapy room due to a lack of appropriate facilities.

In its application to the council, the school said a single-storey extension is the only sensible way forward.

Its statement said: “St Joseph’s Primary School has lately received a pupil with severe physical disabilities into the school for whom a special-purpose therapy room is required to accommodate a range of specialist equipment and facilities.

“There is no space conveniently available within the existing buildings, the only feasible alternative being to construct a single-storey extension at the western end, where a corridor to connect the therapy room back to the main school may also usefully form a secondary means of access or exit for all the pupils.”

Portishead Town Council will be asked to make a recommendation regarding planning, before North Somerset makes the final decision.

So far one member of the public has offered a comment and they are in support of the proposal, so long as the school does not make it more than one storey in future.

The deadline for people to offer comments is September 7.