PLANS lodged by a special school for children with Education Health and Care Plans (ECHPs) to convert a storage building into a café to help students gain ‘real-world experience’ have been given the go-ahead.

Westmorland and Furness Council has approved a planning application by Sandside Lodge School in Ulverston to transform Todbusk Lodge into a not-for-profit café off Springfield Road.

READ MORE: Plans to convert Todbusk Lodge into cafe for Ulverston school students

The school caters for students between four and nineteen who have an Education Health and Care Plan. All students have severe learning difficulties and additional needs such as autism, physical difficulties, hearing or vision impaired and communication differences.

According to planning documents, the building is ‘rarely used’ and it is proposed to upgrade it into a small café staffed by students with support and guidance from teaching staff.

Planning documents state: “This is part of a plan developed some years ago to help students in the school become more familiar with the community in which they live and gain real world experience in public facing roles.

“We have already employed a chef who trains many of our students in commercial catering. Running a café is a natural extension of this. Providing a small, not for profit, café in this locality has the prospect of long-term sustainability due to its proximity to both the railway station and local schools.”

The school aims to finance the project themselves with donations from local businesses and individuals.

Planning documents add: “Developing Todbusk Lodge in this way is a unique opportunity to turn a deteriorating building into a useful asset for both the school and its students and enhance our links with local people while providing an additional facility for the whole community.”

This planning application was approved on August 21.