New sports facility given the go ahead by planners

The scheme will see a new hall and entrance lobby built on part of a playground at Park School on Whitegate Drive in Blackpool.

Town hall planners, who approved the application using delegated powers, said “the existing school hall is no longer suitable for the sports use and its shape precludes sufficient supervision of the students or access by all students. ”

Once the new facility is built, the existing hall will be used for dining and breakout space.

In their report planners added: “The proposed detached hall would also be used by other groups outside of school hours so would have wider community benefits to a range of different users.

“As such, the hall is for an alternative sports and recreation provision, and there would be education and community benefits which would clearly outweigh the net loss of playground.”

Alternative playground areas are available on the site of Park School, which has around 322 pupils with a range of additional needs, between the agesof two and 19.

No objections were received to the proposals, which have been drawn up by Preston-based architects Cassidy and Ashton.

A letter from the architects supporting the application, says the school wants to make the new sports hall available for community use on week days between 5.30pm and 8.30pm.

It says: “The existing MUGA (multi use games area) is already used on this basis by local junior football clubs for training and there has been interest from some for use of internal spaces.”