A SCHOOL has revealed plans to turn its former building into new classrooms to cope with rising demand.

Birtenshaw School in Bromley Cross has applied to turn its old derelict premises in Darwen Road into additional facilities including 10 classrooms around a sensory courtyard.

There would also be new therapy rooms, staff offices, a hydrotherapy pool, including changing facilities, and a dining and sports hall.

The building dates back to the 1700s and has been a target for vandals, including when the coach house was destroyed in an arson attack last year.

A statement submitted with the application said: "The charity is seeking to develop the site on which the former Birtenshaw School was located in order to provide additional classroom space to meet the demand for places at Birtenshaw School and to provide an inclusive nursery provision with a specialism in supporting children with additional needs.

"The proposed building will provide additional classroom spaces for 40 children in the school, and 40 children in the nursery and early years centre, providing an overall total of 80.

"The new school building is comprised of 10 classroom suites, therapy accommodation, staff facilities, a hydrotherapy pool (including changing facilities) and a dining/sports hall (including catering facilities) all arranged around a central landscaped courtyard.

"The majority of the building will be single storey with a pitched roof, the internal corridor and rooms which surround the internal sensory courtyard will have a flat roof system.

"Due to the nature of the use, the pool and sports hall will be slightly higher. The two spaces are divided by a second floor of accommodation which will provide training rooms and a breakout terrace.

"This second floor of accommodation will also continue over the entrance point to the building providing back of house office space."

The former Birtenshaw Hall School was first built as a private house and was occupied from 1740. It was used as a school from 1955 but has been vacant since 2014, when an adjacent purpose-built school opened.