An East Lancashire secondary school want to add a canopied extension to its dining hall to create more space for students during lunch breaks.
The Hyndburn Academy, in Stourton Street, Rishton, proposed to build the addition in an unused courtyard.
The school has applied to Hyndburn Council for planning permission for the scheme.
An updated supporting statement says: "The courtyard canopy extension proposed is adjacent to a hall and is required to provide an extension of the floor area alongside the hall, which will be used as a dedicated dining hall, allowing pupils to be seated to dine and have an area that can be used as a flexible space.
"The covered area will help to relieve the academy’s space pressure and free up the existing refectory area located away from the kitchens, to be used for other purposes.
"The academy building complex is an amalgam of new and old build that has evolved over the last 10 plus years.
"The proposal involves what can be considered to be a minor addition, required to facilitate additional covered dining space, in response to a need to expand space to accommodate more seated socialising/dining area.
"The canopy will be an extension to the adjacent dining hall which is within the existing building.
"The academy is short of dining space for students to gather, which results in the study hall being used as a social space.
"In providing this additional dining space, students will therefore benefit from the study hall as a designated study area.
"The courtyard area is not used at all.
"A covered area would provide much-needed space for students to dine during lunch times.
"The application proposes a lightweight aluminium framed canopy structure.
"Whilst the materials are different to those on the existing academy buildings, the materials used seek to minimise the visual presence of the structure and have it viewed against the backdrop of the existing classroom blocks.
"The canopy is within an enclosed courtyard and will not be viewed in any direction as an isolated structure.
"The style, design and material finishes of the proposed canopy extension use materials with a colour palette that complements the existing buildings.
"The modest extension will result in a well-proportioned and balanced addition to the building."
An updated planning statement was added to the planning application on Wednesday, May 8.
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