THE planning application for Portland Academy at Southwell has been resubmitted.

The updated plans for the Isle of Portland Aldridge Community Academy at Southwell Business Park have now been submitted and are now on display at Weymouth and Portland Borough Council's planning website.

The Academy Trust temporarily withdrew its application for the site in December to allow time to address concerns raised about travel and the revised plans also include measures to ensure the important ecological nature of the site is protected and enhanced.

People have until March 27 to comment on the plans.

Further information is now available about the academy's travel plan and provides information about how students, parents and staff will travel to the new site, based upon a survey.

The plans show how the academy plans to manage travel between the two proposed campuses at Southwell Park and Osprey Quay, and gives more information about the provision of dedicated buses across the whole of Portland.

The plan outlines the schemes and targets the academy will employ to encourage car and vehicle sharing to reduce and ease any potential for congestion around the site and gives full details of highway improvements which will be undertaken as part of the Southwell Business Park development work.

Development work to provide safe and enhanced cycle and pedestrian access to the site has also been highlighted and concerns raised over ecological issues have been addressed.

IPACA Principal Alison Appleyard welcomed the new plans.

She said: “This month has seen the handover from Dorset County Council of our first new campus at Osprey Quay. The reactions of the students who have been to the Osprey Quay building has been real excitement.

“The new Southwell Park campus will deliver that same high standard of 21st Century facilities for all of our children, and enable us to realise the founding four schools' original vision of an all-through Academy, where the educational focus is on the stage each student has reached individually, not their age group."

Dorset County Councillor for Portland Harbour Tim Munro said: “The application, with the revised detail around transport and environmental issues, demonstrates their commitment to and understanding of the local wishes and concerns.

“This demonstration of positive response to the communities concerns, augers well for the partnership of community and Academy.”

The application can be seen in full by going to Dorsetforyou.com and searching for planning applications, choose Weymouth and Portland Borough Council- planning application search and quote reference Application WP/13/00101/FUL. Or people view the plans at the borough council offices at North Quay and people can submit comments in writing to Development Services, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, North Quay, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 8TA.