A SCHEME to extend a school to teach new qualifications to train teenagers for skilled jobs has sailed through planning permission.

New College Durham asked to build a three-storey extension to its sports and music building.

The proposal for the college on Framwellgate Moor, Durham will create 40 full-time jobs, says a Durham County Council report.

The extension will be used for teaching new "T Level" qualifications - a new two-year technical programme designed to prepare students for skilled employment.

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Caitlin Newby spoke on behalf of the college at a planning committee meeting on Tuesday (April 12).

She said: "New College Durham with their policy team has worked carefully to consider the needs of the development.

"New College Durham continuously plans to ensure that the needs of future learners will be catered by working in partnership with local employers and working alongside the ever-evolving Government priorities towards education, to identify skill gaps and improve student employability.

"This project relates to T Levels, or Technical Levels, which is a new two-year technical programme aimed at young people aged 16 to 19.

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"The proposed extension will host teaching accommodation for health, education, digital and science subjects initially.

"These are identified skill shortages nationally.

"However the teaching accommodation will be flexible enough to accommodate additional subjects as the range of T Level subjects will expand.

"Currently the teaching accommodation on site is not sufficient to meet these needs and therefore this extension has been required.

"This development will expand post-16 educational and vocational options locally.

"The importance of choice for post-16 education and training is crucial to address social inequalities, as the choices made at 16 can have a potentially long-lasting impact to a child's future career and earning potential.

"The proposal has gained no objections from the public or technical consultees."

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Senior planning officer Leigh Dalby said the extension would remove 47 spaces from the car park, but there would still be 83 surplus spaces for staff and students.

Letters were sent out and a site notice and advert put out about the planning application.

But there were no responses to the plan and no objections raised to it.

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Mr Dalby said the building was an "acceptable contemporary design" in character with the educational complex and designed to reduce carbon emissions and energy usage.

Planners recommended approving the scheme.

Councillor Jonathan Elmer said: "I honestly can't find anything negative at all in relation to this application."

The planning committee voted unanimously in favour of the extension.

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