Aurora Eccles School in Quidenham, Norfolk, has submitted plans for 72 new overnight rooms for flexible residential options including full and weekly boarding, Yahoo news has reported.

Aurora is a private school for secondary school pupils with special educational needs. It has not offered boarding since 2019.

The plans also include living areas and kitchen facilities, similar to university student accommodation as well as rooms for a warden. The accommodation would comprise three blocks of two-storey buildings, built in phases.

The proposals have been approved by Breckland Council, but permission for the development will have to be granted by the secretary of state following an objection by Sport England which raised concerns about the loss a playing field and a cricket pitch.

Planning officers at the council stated the benefits of the development would “outweigh the conflicts” raised by Sport England with councillor Robert Kybird adding: “I think that this is a vast improvement for the pupils of the school and is a much-needed facility in the right place.”

The Aurora Group’s school business manager said: “A planning application has indeed been submitted, but we have no plans to expand at this current time. We may wish to in the future.”