FRESH plans have been drawn up to build homes on the former Ramsey Primary School site after fire tore through the derelict building.

Planning permission had already been granted to knock down the school in Wix Road and build three homes where it stood, with a similar gable end design, as well as five detached homes and the former caretaker house.

But new plans have been submitted to Tendring Council for the three three-bedroom terraced houses where the school stood as well as one detached three-bedroom next to it.

It comes after a devastating fire in May 2016 that destroyed the historic former school, which had laid empty since the new Two Village Primary School opened about a decade ago.

In a letter to the council, the architect Christopher Brooks said: "The application proposes the replacement of plots one to three with four units, the style of which are simplified in design.

"This is due to recent fire and subsequent demolition of the existing buildings from which materials were to be reclaimed and used within the design."

A further planning application is expected to be put forward to change the design of the five detached homes at the back of the site.

A planning statement sent with the application said: "The remainder of the development is to be set around an outer and inner courtyard.

"This is not to be a gated form of development, but a grouping of five dwellings to form a sense of place rather than a repetition of suburban housing found anywhere else.

"While this may be regarded by some as being contrary to the otherwise uniform ribbon of housing along Wix Road it is considered the opportunity to achieve something a little different should be embraced."

Land further to the north of the site is set to be used as amenity land, possibly for the grazing of horses.