SHIPPING containers could be used for food preparation and kitchen overspill at a private school.

D'Overbroeck's independent school wants to place three shipping containers behind a kitchen at its site at 333 Banbury Road to make extra room for kitchen storage.

A planning application by the school to Oxford City Council asks for permission to temporarily place the containers behind the kitchen area for three years.

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A statement included with the application said 'no cooking of food would be undertaken within the proposed units', but the application does list food preparation as a use of one of the three containers.

The other two would be used as a cold store room and an office.

In the statement d'Overbroeck's said the new containers were needed because the school had a growing number of students based at different buildings who needed to be fed.

The independent school currently teaches around 600 pupils between 11 and 18 years old, some of who are boarders.

Because not all of the school's buildings have enough room for kitchen facilities, all of the catering is done at its main site and is then delivered to its other sites.

The statement said there was 'significant pressure on the existing catering facilities'.

It added that the temporary extension was being put in place while plans were drawn up for more permanent kitchens based at its other sites.

Most of d'Overbroeck's other buildings are in Summertown on Banbury Road, with another on Leckford Road.

There is also a building used by the school on St Aldates in Oxford city centre.

The three metal containers would replace three wooden garden sheds which are currently behind the school kitchens and are being used for storage.

The narrow area is also used as part of a service yard for deliveries to the kitchens.

It cannot be seen by the public, so the statement argued the new cabins would not cause any disruption or changes for people living or working in the area around the school.

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To make the cabins accessible, there would be ramped access.

The school's site was a Masonic meeting hall up until 2012 when d'Overbroeck's took over.

A Georgian-era villa which used to be the old Masons hall faces Banbury road, which newer buildings built by the school to the rear.

Though the villa is nominated as a heritage asset by Oxford City Council, the report argued the new shipping containers would not have an impact on the historic parts of the school campus.

D'Overbroeck's was set up during the 1970s as a sixth form college by Malcolm van Biervliet d'Overbroeck, who taught French and Spanish there until his retirement in 2007.

In June ast year, Jonathan Cuff was named as the new principal of the school, after consultation with staff and directors.

He had been acting head for six months, taking over from Emma-Kate Henry, who became principal in July 2017.

See the planning application at oxford.gov.uk/planning by searching for reference 20/00684/FUL.