A new school sports hall complete with an eco-friendly ‘living roof’ has been given the go-ahead.

The new state-of-the-art sports pavilion is planned for Bradford Academy, in East Bowling, on the site of the old Bowling Community College.

The scheme, for a sports and fitness building with changing rooms and a club room, as well as an outdoor floodlit football pitch covered in third-generation artificial turf, has now been approved by planners.

The school hopes the facility will be used by clubs and the community outside school hours.

And in their planning application, the architects said the new building’s eco-friendly measures will go beyond what is required. This will include a ‘living roof’ covered in sedum plants, designed to soak up rainwater run-off.