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School plans to relocate to building on same road

Jonny ManningNorth East and Cumbria
News imageGoogle An external picture of St Patrick's Primary School. A large green sign displaying the school's emblem and name is hung on the red brick building, which also contains an inset stone with writing carved into it. The entrance is to the right behind a small metal fence.Google
St Patrick's Primary School has submitted plans to relocate 200m (660ft) down the road

A primary school is planning to relocate to a new building about 200m (660ft) from its existing site.

St Patrick's Catholic Primary School in Sunderland has submitted plans to construct a single-storey building on a field to the south of its existing home on Smith Street.

The new facility will have capacity for 236 pupils aged between four and 11 and the existing school would remain open during construction so classes were not disturbed.

In its application to the city council, the Department for Education (DfE) said the relocation was necessary so it could provide "high-quality education in modern, fit-for-purpose accommodation".

The new primary school will consist of a library, assembly and dining hall, nursery and classrooms.

It will also have an under-10s sports pitch, outdoor PE court and outdoor play areas.

News imageGoogle A screenshot of Google Maps showing an aerial view of the area around St Patrick's Primary school. The area is largely residential with a large field in the middle of the screen. This is the proposed site of the new school. A red pin to the north of the fields highlights where St Patrick's is located.Google
The new building will be constructed on a field to the south of the existing primary school

In its application, the DfE said the field next to Beechbrooke Park is currently used as an "informal" greenspace for local residents but the land is not officially allocated as open space.

The department claimed the benefits of the move "clearly outweigh the limited harm arising from the loss of this low-value greenspace".

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