School demolition approved to build new facilities

The new campus will be made of two three-storey buildings

Plans to demolish a school and replace it with new facilities have been approved by a local authority.

Sunderland City Council unanimously backed the scheme for two three-storey buildings at St Aidan's Catholic Academy in Ashbrooke.

One block will contain classrooms, assembly hall and dining area, while the second will be a combined sports and sixth form building.

Councillor Michael Dixon, who represents the St Michael's ward where St Aidan's is based, described the development as a "magnificent project".

Developers were appointed by the Department of Education (DfE) under a national programme to upgrade ageing schools.

St Aidan's Catholic Academy is to be demolished under national plans to upgrade existing schools

The designs also include a "welcoming faith garden", a horticultural hub, sensory gardens and an "outdoor construction skills area and habitat trails", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Sunderland City Council's planning department recommended the project's approval ahead of the meeting, stating it would provide a better teaching environment than the existing facilities.