PLANS to convert a historic building into a new therapeutic special needs school have been unveiled.

Octavia House School is seeking planning permission to convert grade-II-listed Roslyn House in Newland Street, Witham, into an education centre for pupils diagnosed with special educational needs.

If approved, the school would provide a maximum of 50 spaces and offer students a range of personalised therapies alongside day-to-day learning.

Bosses are keen to progress the scheme as quickly as possible and hope approval can be granted in time for the new academic year starting in September.

Should that target prove accurate, Octavia House would enrol just 15 pupils for the first year, before slowly increasing that figure to 50 before 2021.

A total of 23 new jobs would likely be created once the school reaches its maximum intake of 50 students.

Octavia House will now have to convince planning officers at Braintree Council to give the green light, with Roslyn House currently being set aside for office use.

The building has been empty since May 2017 and those behind the plans for a new school say no internal or external alterations would be required to make it pupil friendly.

A spokesman said: "The proposed change of Roslyn House is compatible with other uses occurring elsewhere within Witham town centre and, by virtue of the hours of business, policy complaint levels of parking provision and access arrangements, the proposed use of the premises as a school will cause no demonstrable harm to neighbouring occupiers or residents."

The school will be open from 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays during term time.

Applicant Octavia House, which is rated outstanding by government watchdog Ofsted, has three schools based in London, but is now looking to expand and open a new facility in Witham due to a lack of special educational needs schools in Essex.

The shortage is being addressed by education bosses at County Hall, who last month announced work would begin on three new specialist schools in Chelmsford and Witham.

The new £8million school in Witham, called the Chatten Free School, will be built on land next to New Rickstones Academy and could be open September next year.