National Park New School

November 18th, 2020 | Posted by Chris Garner in News

The Lake District National Park Authority has granted planning consent to Switched2 for a new school at Ulpha Farm, Meathop, near Grange over Sands.

The current school, providing for pupils who have not coped well in mainstream schools, operates from portacabins located inside farm buildings. The key to the success of the school is the rural environment that it operates within.

The scheme will retain the lower stone walls of the existing barn and adding new facilities within a lightweight modern structure. The single storey structure, provides ease of access for staff and pupils and includes two classrooms, a meeting room, an office and central multi use space and kitchen for vocational courses and a separate car maintenance building. To maximise energy efficiency photovoltaic panels will be included. A scheme for biodiversity net gain will include wildlife friendly plant species, a woodland management scheme and barn walls made suitable for bat roosting.

Garner Planning acted as agent, with Garsdale Design designing the scheme, supported by RG Parkins (drainage and structural engineers), Envirotech (ecologists) and Yew Tree (arboriculturists).

The Lake District National Park Authority are to be commended in understanding the importance of such schools, appreciating the need for a rural location and being generally positive in both the pre-application discussions and the planning application process.

 

 

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