A primary school has been given the go-ahead to keep its temporary classrooms for at least another two years.

The pair of temporary classroom buildings were put in place at St James Daisy Hill CE Primary School, on Hindley Road, Westhoughton last November to teach children in while the school undergoes a wider refurbishment project.

But some members of the planning committee have been concerned about cases like these where permission is granted in retrospect, after the structures have already been built.

Cllr Nick Peel said: “I’m not sure how much this was the school’s decision or how much the council was involved in it but really, obviously there should be a better way of going about it than coming to committee for retrospective permission after the event.

“If this was a private development there are some members who believe quite firmly in throwing the book and refuse it clearly for the sake of you doing it without permission, clearly you wouldn’t do that with a potential school application like this.

“But clearly a message really does need to go back to whoever is responsible.”

The school has been using temporary classrooms

One of the temporary structures is a single classroom building, while the other holds two with council officers having confirmed that no parking space has been lost as a result.

The refurbishment project will aim to tackle structural issues with the school and until then the two temporary buildings have been sited on the school playground.

The school has pledged that the temporary classrooms will be taken down again once this refurbishment work is done.

Council officers recommended that the scheme be approved by members as the temporary buildings have been essential to making sure that the children’s education can continue while the refurbishment work is done while no objections had been received from members of the community.

The playground will also be able to be used as normal in two years time once the buildings are no longer needed.

Ultimately the committee voted unanimously to grant the school permission to keep the two temporary buildings up.

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