Sidmouth Primary School has received planning permission to build new facilities, including a 3G sports pitch and library – and demolish some buildings to replace them with amenities, including a new hall, staff room and classroom.

The measures, which which will be paid for by the Department for Education, were approved unanimously by East Devon District Council's planning committee today (Wednesday, September 1).

It will mean big changes for the Church of England school, which is currently split across three sites: Manstone Avenue, Woolbrook Road, and Vicarage Road.

The works mean the school will be consolidated at Manstone Avenue and Woolbrook Road. It's believed this will save money and allow the school to accept 60 more pupils. Buildings to the west of a play area at the Manstone Avenue site will be pulled down to make way for some of the new facilities.

The Vicarage Road site, which is not owned by the council and is blighted by run-down buildings and asbestos, will close.

More details of what's been agreed today

The application was submitted by First Federation Trust, a group with 16 schools across the south coast of Devon which includes Sidmouth Primary.

The initial proposal was amended by council officers to include eight additional parking spaces, four of which will be equipped with electric vehicle charging. The council's approval also stipulates construction vehicles should only be allowed to enter or leave construction areas between 8 am and 6pm Mondays to Fridays, 9 am to 1pm on Saturdays and not at all on Sundays or bank holidays.

Some trees will be removed at Manstone Avenue, but new ones will be planted around the boundary of the school.

It is hoped that some of the extra traffic could be mitigated by new pedestrian access routes yet to be finalised.

What councillors said at the meeting

Sidmouth councillor Marianne Rixson (Independent East Devon Alliance) said it was sad that the Vicarage Road site would close, but added: "We can't have a town the size of Sidmouth without adequate provision for primary school children."

Councillor Steve Gazzard (Lib Dems, Exmouth Withycombe Raleigh) said: "It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for Sidmouth," while Councillor Bruce De Saram (Conservative, Exmouth Littleham) described the plan as 'a win-win for everyone'.

Some parents have raised concerns about the new all-weather pitch which will replace the grass field at Manstone Avenue. Speaking at committee, councillor Denise Bickley, (Independent East Devon Alliance, Sidmouth Town), said she understood the worry but added: "The grass field cannot be used most of the year because it's a mud bath."

Sidmouth Primary opened in September 2011. Around 500 pupils go to the school which is currently split across three sites. Cllr Bickley, who works at the school office at Woolbrook Road, said maintaining the different locations has led to a tripling up of many logistical and maintenance costs while putting a strain on senior leadership, which is spread too thinly across the three areas.

She explained that the current set-up also affects children's ability to socialise, with pupils in the same year groups now split across different locations.

What happens now?

The planning permission is, in theory, only 'consultative' because the committee, like all other East Devon Council meetings at the moment, was held online because of covid concerns. As the law allowing councils to meet virtually ended on 7 May, no official decisions can be made virtually.

It's all procedural and the outcome is assured. Once an 'indicative' decision is made by the council on Zoom it is then passed to the chief executive or senior officers who has power to rubber-stamp decisions. And that's how it will work for Sidmouth Primary which can now look forward to a better way of working.

More details on the school plans, including concept images can be found here.