A YORK school is changing its layout to make it more accessible for people with disabilities.

All Saints RC School is applying for permission to make alterations to its top floor office and meeting room spaces at its lower school site in Nunnery Lane, next to the Bar Convent.

As previously reported in The Press, City of York Council is putting £495,000 towards works to help make the school more accessible.

A Heritage Statement and Impact Assessment on the City of York Council's planning portal reads:

"This application is for amendments to the layout of the top floor office and meeting

room spaces.

"Listed Building consent was granted in July 2020 Application reference No. 20/00602/LBC for alteration works to improve the accessibility across the school buildings.

"A pupil who uses a wheelchair was due to start at All Saints RC School in September 2020, however due to Covid-19 this has now been postponed.

"The previous consent 20/00602/LBC permitted changes to the building of the lower site to create accessible routes around the school to enable pupils to access as much of the curriculum as possible.

"Since the consent was granted some minor changes to the top floor have been agreed with the school in order to make the lower site as accessible as possible and to allow the pupil to gain a route around most – but not all curriculum areas.

"This has resulted in creating more curriculum spaces on the lower levels and the need to

move the office and meeting space to the top floor.

"The area of proposed works to the top floor is part of a listed building within a designated conservation area.

"Situated on land behind Bar Convent, the school is separated from Bar Convent by locked doors. None of the proposed work involves accessing the areas currently used by Bar Convent.

"The layout amendments proposed in this application are to the top floor only."

The lower site of All Saints RC School is separate from the Bar Convent.

The Bar Convent was established and originally built in 1686, before being demolished and rebuilt during the Georgian period in 1768.

The building used by All Saints RC School was built in the grounds of Bar Convent in around 1844.

The previously approved access improvement works will take place in a number of areas of the school. Some are proposed to take place in the part of the building that is leased by the Diocese of Middlesbrough from Bar Convent.

Originally a part of Bar Convent, this area of the school is listed in the National Heritage List for England (NHLE) as grade I, (1259503).

The remainder of the school building is owned by the Diocese of Middlesbrough and has no individual listing.

For more information visit: planningaccess.york.gov.uk