PLANS for a new town primary school labelled 'a mess' by councillors have been approved.

Somerset West and Taunton Council has given permission for the new Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School to be built on the Longforth Farm development.

The school will be run by the Castle Partnership Trust, which also runs The Castle School in Taunton.

The land was reserved for a primary school under a s.106 agreement when the development of houses was given approval.

The new school will be a two storey 420 place Free School providing classrooms, library, SEN facilities, a multi-use hall, kitchen and dining facilities. There will also be a 39 place nursery.

The design of the school, from Portakabin, features a 'modular design' - meaning it's built elsewhere, before being transported to the site to minimise construction time.

However, some of the town councillors said the designed was 'a mess' and 'needed more imagination'.

Despite their concerns, the plans for the new school were passed.

Principal planning specialist for the council, Rebecca Miller, approved the plans with a number of conditions.

She said: "The access and associated dropping-off and picking-up facilities shall be available for all users of the school for a minimum period of time between the hours of 8am-9am and 3pm-4pm, Monday to Friday, or as set out within the approved travel plan or any variation of the travel plan agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

"The eastern access shall be used for the purpose of 'entry only' and the western access shall be used for the purpose of 'exit only'.

"The school shall not be occupied until all parking spaces for vehicles and cycles have been provided in a position approved by the local planning authority.

"For the new site exit there shall be no obstruction to visibility greater than 300 millimetres above adjoining road level in advance of lines drawn 2.4 metres

back from the carriageway edge on the centre line of the exit road and extending to points on the nearside carriageway edge 33 metres either side of the access."

To read the full plans search application number 43/19/0030 on the SWT website.