A SCHOOL and college providing opportunities for children with learning difficulties is set to have its bid to expand blocked.

Castledon College, on Bromfords Drive, Wickford, had applied to Basildon Council to build 16 new outbuildings on the school field.

But, planning officers have recommended the plans for refusal ahead of a planning committee meeting tomorrow, stating the plans represent in unacceptable and inappropriate development on the green belt land.

The land, which is owned by the college, is currently a field.

The council acknowledged the need of additional facilities, and claimed to support the growth of the school.

If approved, the college had hoped to use the outbuildings across vocational subjects, including animal care and bricklaying, providing real work-based experiences for pupils.

The new buildings would aim to boost employment opportunities, and increase the number of adults with learning difficulties who are in full-time paid work.

The council officers’ conclusion read: “Whilst the council is sympathetic towards the needs of additional school facilities and doesn’t object to the growth of the school, the proposed development represents inappropriate development and would erode the semi-rural nature of the locality, adversely affecting the character and appearance of the locality and reducing the openness of the green belt.

“The information provided is not considered to be sufficient to clearly outweigh the harm upon the green belt and therefore not reasonable to be considered as comprising very special circumstances.

“The proposed development would result in the objectives of green belt being adversely impaired.

“Furthermore, as a result of the proposal there will be an increase in vehicles arriving at and departing the site.

“In the absence of any justification there is currently insufficient information to be able to show that the proposed development would not have a detrimental impact on highway safety.”