PLANS for an 800 pupil school on Thornton Road have been approved by Bradford Council.

Earlier this year the The Department For Education submitted a planning application to build an 800 pupil academy on the former Morrisons HQ site on Thornton Road.

It will be the future home of Eden Boys Leadership Academy, a Muslim faith based school run by the Star Academy Trust.

That school has been operating from a temporary site since it opened to its first cohort of pupils in September.

Bradford Council granted planning permission for the school this week, on the condition that the applicants pay for at least £95,000 worth of road safety works on the roads and junctions around the school.

Car park planned for Thornton Road site once earmarked for 'landmark' development

The application is for a three storey building on the derelict site, including sports facility and parking area for 132 cars.

It said: “The proposed new facilities, building and surroundings seek to provide a world class and inspiring teaching and learning environment."

Conditions of the plans include that the applicants fund the following roadworks:

- New traffic systems at the Thornton Road/Ingleby Road/Whetley Lane junction, at a cost of around £20,000

- New traffic light systems at the Ingleby Road/Duncombe Road/Duncombe Street junction at a cost of £15,000

- the installation of an additional bus lane enforcement camera within the vicinity of the site on Thornton Road, and the maintenance of this traffic control measure for 20 years. This would cost £60,000

There would also be a number of traffic calming measures on the nearby streets, and highways officers said these measures would mitigate any traffic issues created by people travelling to and from the new school.

Council officers had pointed out that the site was classes as an employment zone, and facilities such as schools would not normally be allowed on such sites.

However they acknowledged that the site had been on the market since 2012 with little interest from business. A 2015 application for shops, a restaurant and garages on the site was approved, but the development was never built.

Officers added: "It will bring about a comprehensive redevelopment of a derelict site together with positive environmental improvements through increased landscaping throughout the site."

Around 80 people would be employed by the school.

Last year planning permission had been granted to prepare the site for building work - including the removal of concrete slabs left behind from when it was the Morrisons HQ.

Despite the fact that people had raised concerns about plans about the proposed school on social media after the plans were announced, there had been no official objections to the application by members of the public.

In fact, the only public comment received by Bradford Council was in support of the scheme, saying the school would allow local children to walk to school rather than travel by car further afield.