PLANS have been lodged to revamp an "underutilised" equine hospital building based at a university campus in Neston.

Sandstone Cottage based at the Leahurst Campus off Chester High Road is "in considerable need of refurbishment works", according to a planning application submitted by the University of Liverpool.

The proposal – lodged with Cheshire West and Chester Council – is to modernise the existing facilities to provide teaching, service and on-call accommodation for the University of Liverpool’s Philip Leverhulme Equine Hospital, which is based at the campus.

The application, submitted by Cassidy and Ashton on behalf of the university, states: "The accommodation is currently unable to fully support its operational requirements as a service building and is therefore in considerable need of refurbishment works.

"The refurbishment would provide an enhanced teaching facility, which would accommodate small, large and group teaching arrangements.

"Alongside this capacity, the works will suitably improve other aspects of the accommodation, with the provision of more suitable, usable office spaces and on call common rooms.

"The internal works comprise the moving, removal and construction of new partition walls and doors so as to improve the layout of the spaces, better accommodating for the building's requirements.

"Sandstone Cottage is an underutilised asset at Leahurst Campus that holds the potential to deliver modern teaching and service spaces, this therefore represents an improvement to the vitality and viability of the campus."

According to the plans, the proposed ground floor comprises an office, three teaching rooms, an on-call common room and an equipment store.

The first floor would have a large group teaching space for up to 30 students as well as an office and teaching on-call common room.

Toilet facilities would be provided on both floors.