SHORTAGE of teaching space will lead to a new six-classroom extension being built at a Pendle school, it has been revealed.

Blueprints for the teaching block at St John Fisher and St Thomas More High School, Colne, are to be drawn up as part of Lancashire County Council’s Building Schools for the Future programme.

The Gibfield Road school is earmarked for improvements under the third phase of the county’s BSF initiative.

There is an outstanding planning application, lodged with Pendle council, for permission to install two temporary classrooms within the school grounds.

A spokesman for the school’s agents, Burnley-based Bennet and Brown, said: “Part of the proposals are to build a six-classroom extension “Until this work can be carried out the school is very short of teaching space and the use of these two double classrooms will help to alleviate that.”

The bid has been made retrospectively because the units have already been relocated to Fisher More school from Pendle Vale College in Nelson over the summer holidays.

“The reuse of these units will also result in a cost saving for the school,” added the agent’s spokes-man in a design and access statement submitted to Pendle planners.

“The units have been located to the rear of the site, behind the main sports hall, to minimise their visual impact, and utilise the only reasonably level and accessible area that will not be affected by the proposed future development,” added the agent.

“The floor level of the units has also been kept as low as possible to minimise the impact of the buildings.”

The application to allow the temporary classrooms at Fisher More is expected to be resolved by Pendle Council within the next few weeks.