Last updated at 20:10, Thursday, 26 July 2012

A £500,000 project is planned to create new classrooms for St Joseph’s School in Workington.

The school has applied for planning permission to turn a run-down parish building into five new classrooms, a drama studio and dedicated parish room.

The building, on Banklands, is next to Our Lady and St Michael’s Church and will be used as a centre for English teaching if planning permission is granted.

Tom Ryan, headteacher, said the building was deteriorating and had become too expensive for the parish to maintain, so when the school was looking to expand it was happy to take it on.

He added: “Many years ago this substantial building was used as a school and more recently it has been a parish centre.

“This investment will ensure that all the pupils who come to St Joseph’s will receive first class teaching in first class specialist accommodation.”

The plans include an extension on one side to accommodate a classroom.

Mr Ryan said that building work would begin as soon as planning permission was granted and it was hoped that it would be completed by October half-term.

First published at 19:25, Thursday, 26 July 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk