PLANS for additional dining facilities at a York school to cater for a temporary rise in pupil places have been submitted.

This planning application for Manor Church of England Academy, submitted on behalf of Hope Sentamu Learning Trust, is to provide extra dining facilities within the existing rotunda courtyard at the site.

The need for additional space at the Millfield Lane school has been identified by the Trust, the school and the City of York Council to create space to meet demand for a temporary three-year 'bulge of pupil places in the west area of York', excluding the Millthorpe catchment area, by September 2022.

The proposed site is within an enclosed courtyard at the school.

Billed as an 'extensive project within the heart of the school', the plans include providing an insulated concrete floor to the ground floor of the rotunda. This will offer extra dining space to students at the school.

The work will also see a staircase to the first floor within the rotunda built.

It will also see the rotunda on the first floor infilled to help with additional dining space.

Infilling the first floor area to the north of the rotunda, over the existing servery area, will also take place under the plans.

A roof over the rotunda to enclose space will also be built.

The building work will also see a 20-metre square section of a music practice room at the school used for the extra dining space. The application says the practice room is currently 'underutilised'.

In the planning access statement for the application, it states: "There have been three main drivers of this design.

"The first was the need to improve existing space and circulation at the core of the building to sustain the schools function now and in the future.

"Develop the space to not encroach to external facades and make best use of existing space, and finally limit disruption to teaching and learning for the duration of the construction.

"This planning application follows a robust feasibility process, the brief of the feasibility was to provide a solution to the restricted dining facility and improve circulation around the core of the building and

between floors.

"The proposal submitted was the selected option to proceed based on the benefits provided through the development of an underutilised rotunda courtyard.

"The design includes a raised central hub to provide ventilation and daylight to the internal spaces provided. The height of the raised lantern is below that of the adjacent sports hall roof."

The application, for an infill extension of rotunda courtyard at the school, has been submitted to the City of York Council and will be discussed at a future planning meeting.

If the proposal is approved, the works will be carried out around next year's school summer holidays.