Plans to expand a special school in Crewe to accommodate an extra 60 pupils have been recommended for approval, despite some objections.

Springfield School caters for 200 children and young people, between the ages of four and 19, who have severe learning difficulties and complex needs.

Cheshire East has applied to its southern planning committee for permission to extend the existing school sports pavilion at the site off Crewe Green Road to accommodate the children, to extend and remodel the existing kitchen facilities and to provide additional off-road parking.

In a report to next week's meeting of the southern planning committee, the council's planning officer states: "The area to be developed for the extension is an unused area of planting to the west and the area to be developed for the revised parking area forms part of the landscaping strip to the south."

The site forms part of an area of protected open space controlled under a planning policy which aims to protect and enhance existing areas of open space and sport/recreation facilities.

The officer says: "The area to be developed to the rear is mainly the tarmac and grassed area within a small part of the wider playing field.

"The area to be developed to the side is currently an unused section of land which is partly overgrown and contains some trees and boundary planting.

"As such most of this land is not capable of serving the open space/playing field function."

He states the proposal is therefore considered to meet the exceptions under planning policy as it affects 'only land incapable of forming part of a playing pitch'.

He adds where playing field is to be lost, this will be compensated by a new tarmac area on land currently not in use and so 'would not result in any reduction in the existing level of open space/playing fields on the site'.

Crewe Town Council has objected to the scheme saying it is 'strongly opposed' to the removal of trees, which reduces the amenity of pupils and residents.

More than 80 letters of objection have been received from residents. Their concerns include parking and congestion issues, the loss of trees, harm to wildlife and flooding concerns.

Two letters have been sent to Cheshire East supporting the scheme.

The planning officer says the site is within the settlement zone line, where there is a presumption in favour of sustainable development.

The benefits of the proposal would be the provision of further special needs education.

The application will be considered at the next meeting of the southern planning committee which takes place at 10am on Wednesday, November 30th, at Crewe Municipal Buildings.