Covid-19 and unavoidable delays have led to a change of plans for Avalon School in Street and the Trustees of Avalon Hydrotherapy Pool.

Following a review of the current difficult situation, school leaders have reluctantly made the decision not to pursue plans to build a hydrotherapy pool at the school.

The focus will now turn instead to new possibilities for the school's outside environment thanks to a fundraising journey which began in 2012.

Pupils, individuals, local businesses, the wider community, and grants and donations from a range of organisations have all played a part in amassing a significant sum of money.

This looked at one point to have made the hydrotherapy pool possible with a planned start date in 2019.

The aim was to build a self-funded and managed pool for use by pupils as well as the wider community.

It would have served other schools and disability groups as well as the local hospice and saved pupils from having to make a 50-mile round journey for a similar facility.

Unfortunately, unforeseen delays due to contractual negotiations and personnel changes put the project on hold, only for the Covid-19 emergency to bring further delay and major cost implications.

When running costs and additional expenses were factored in, the project became no longer viable.

"We were incredibly reluctant to have to finally make this decision, so it was with heavy hearts that we wrote to parents recently to explain and announce the cessation of the project," said Clive Padgett, IEB chair of Avalon School.

"But this disappointment is tempered by the fact that we can now focus on some exciting work on site, which could take the form of new creative outdoor play and sensory spaces, and we will be consulting closely on how this will be developed with our young people, as well as staff, parents, carers.

"We would also like to thank our many partners in our local community who have made significant pledges of funding towards the hydrotherapy project, their support has been invaluable and we hope to continue working with all those who have pledged funding to provide exciting resources to support the learning and development of young people at Avalon School."