A Victorian former school and school house could be turned into three homes.

Gressenhall Voluntary Aided School and school house on Church Lane could be transformed if planning permission is granted by Breckland Council.

The proposed development would renovate and extend the existing house and convert and extend the old school buildings into two new houses.

The plans were lodged with Breckland Council this week and are currently awaiting decision.

A design and access statement, prepared by RIBA on behalf of the applicant, Jarvis and Jarvis, states: “The buildings were previously owned by the church and were last used approximately five years ago.

“The house is currently not liveable and none of the buildings have been well maintained over the years. If a new use is not found for the buildings they are likely to remain neglected and will continue to deteriorate.

“The extensions and alterations are sympathetic to the existing buildings in scale, form and massing whilst not being a pastiche.

“The relationship between the old and new elements can be clearly understood and the design preserves the best of the existing buildings.”

The building was built by John David Hay Hill of Gressenhall Hall in 1842 with Norfolk red brick and a slate roof.

Renovations to the listed building would include the removal of lean-to outbuildings at the rear of the school, the north-facing wall and flat roof of the 1970s extension and areas of surfacing to the front and side of the building.

The existing staircase of the old school house would be preserved.

The design and access statement said: “The scheme was discussed at an early stage with Breckland’s historic buildings officer, to ascertain what was felt to be the best approach to extending the building and putting right previous unsympathetic extensions.

“The proposed scheme is a sympathetic reworking and extension of the existing buildings and preserves the existing listed buildings for the future.”