A VILLAGE school in South Lakeland is set for an extension after a planning application was approved.

The extra space is to provide Levens CE School with an additional classroom, a meeting room for staff, and sanitary facilities. A corridor is to link the extension to the main school.

A design and access statement submitted as part of the application from Brian Durham, of Cumbria County Council, said the added room at the school would help it to cope 'with the increased intake due to recent housing development within Levens, as well as the increased popularity of the school'.

"Providing additional school places within the village will prevent children having to travel further afield - e.g. Crosscrake or Kendal - to attend school," says the statement.

"This will reduce car and bus trips outside the village."

An outbuilding is to be demolished to accommodate the extension and an external store erected to replace some of the lost storage from the demolished outbuilding.

"Allowance has been made to ensure there is accessible access to all areas of the proposed extension, despite the differences in levels across the site," said the design and access statement.