A BLACKBURN school is to demolish an old nursery to make way for a play area.

St Anne’s RC Primary School says the building is not needed after a number of extensions to the main school.

Early years education has been moved into the main Feilden Street building and the nursery will be flattened.

The single storey nursery, along the rear and side fronting Paradise Street, will be stripped internally before steel cutting machines dismantle the frame.

The remaining land will be used to enlarge the children’s outdoor play area.

Plans submitted to Blackburn with Darwen Council say the school plans to use the extra space to create a soft play area.

The school will also put planted screening along the fence side on to the church to regain privacy to the school yard.

Generally, demolitions do not need planning permission.

The school notified the council of its plans and it responded saying permission was not required.

Contractors will undertake structural and other investigation works to draft a safe and efficient demolition process.

The demolition area will then be isolated from any operational school areas when the work starts.

Planning documents also state that HGV movements will be timed to avoid the children’s arrival and departure times.

Neighbours will be contacted to agree arrangements for maintaining access.