Plans for a Grade II listed building in Staffordshire to be converted into a school have been approved.

Uttoxeter House on High Street in Uttoxeter, which was used recently as office space, will have eight classrooms for 64 students in total, it is planned.

Bayleaf Care Ltd applied to East Staffordshire Borough Council for planning permission for the school, which will serve children in the company's care and referrals from Staffordshire County Council.

No alterations are planned to the vacant building and planning officers gave approval, saying the proposed change of use was "considered appropriate for the listed building".

This would support "its continued use and long-term preservation", they added.

The planning officers said the "proposed use would not be likely to result in significant harm to highway safety, residential amenity, visual amenity or harm to the heritage asset or ecology/biodiversity".

The school, at the manor house sometimes called Lord Gardner's House, is set to employ 15 full-time staff, along with a cook and a kitchen assistant for lunchtime periods.

Students will arrive by minibus to avoid traffic around the school, the application said.

Information submitted showed there would be a 74% cut in vehicle movements, down from 245 to 64, under the plans.

It had originally been hoped the application would be approved before Easter to allow a small intake of students before being fully operational in September for the new school year.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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