PLANS have been drawn up to turn a courtyard into a dining area at the oversubscribed Ilkley Grammar School as part of a scheme to redevelop the school’s “deteriorating” physical environment.

Harrogate-based SSA Architects Ltd has submitted plans to Bradford Council to enclose an existing courtyard with a new glazed roof, and create a mezzanine floor to provide additional dining space.

The plan is to create a “dining hub”, increasing capacity to accommodate students at lunchtimes and ensure all pupils have access to the dining facilities.

Significant numbers of pupils are currently said to be leaving the school premises on Cowpasture Road at lunch times to find suitable alternatives to the school system.

The school currently houses about 1,500 pupils, and the architects say a significant expansion of pupil numbers is anticipated in the coming years due to pressure on the existing primary schools that feed Ilkley Grammar.

In a design and access statement, S+SA Architects Ltd said: “The proposed project is the first part of a phased masterplan to aid the redevelopment of the school which has suffered from significant levels of under investment since the cancellation of the building schools for the future programme, under which it was intended that the school would achieve new premises to provide a 21st-century teaching space.

“The phased master plan will continually advance and invigorate the school premises and continue to build in Ilkley Grammar’s enviable reputation.”

The company says Ilkley Grammar is committed to a long-required programme of repair and adaptation, with a large amount of the school’s fabric in a de-generated state.

It is also hoped that enclosing the courtyard will reduce the maintenance burden on the school, by protecting part of the building from the elements.

Meanwhile, Ashlands Primary School, Leeds Road, Ilkley, has submitted its own application for an outdoor learning area in its playground, with a 30sqm high platform and partial canopy structure.