Plans have been approved to build a new permanent classroom at Great Ouseburn Community Primary School.

The school on Main Street in the village was established in 1884 and currently caters for 96 pupils.

North Yorkshire County Council applied to itself for planning permission to demolish an existing pre-fabricated classroom that was built in 2013 in order to replace it with a larger and permanent building.

The current prefabricated classroom is 88 square metres whereas the new building will be more than twice the size at 177 square metres.

The council’s planning and regulatory functions committee met this morning in Northallerton and approved the application.

The plans also include the removal of a tree, landscaping works and a new astroturf sports pitch.

This new unit will be made up of two teaching classrooms that will share cloakroom space and toilets between them with separate teaching storage rooms in each classroom.  Each classroom will provide a minimum of 30 spaces for children.

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A report to councillors ahead of the meeting said although there will be a new sports pitch some grass areas used by children for play will be built upon.

It called this “unfortunate” but said the proposed development would improve the school teaching capabilities as well as cater to the current number of students attending the school.

There were 20 letters of support and three objections.

Councillors asked for the new builds to be resited, solar panels to be added and for the removed tree to be replaced with three semi-mature trees.

Friends of Great Ouseburn School has launched a crowdfunder to raise £75,000 for the project.

It says the council will fund part of it and the school will pay the rest. Work is expected to take place during the summer holidays.

It says: