A £250,000 package of road safety improvements has been announced as part of a controversial plan to build a sports hall at a Mirfield school.

Governors of Castle Hall School have pledged new schemes to ease traffic congestion and improve the safety of children arriving and leaving the school.

These include extending the footpath along Towngate, to discourage pedestrians from walking in the road.

Also, a new "traffic table" is planned at a proposed housing development junction with Towngate. This would involve a raised section of road, to slow down traffic and improve road safety.

Howard Webster, chairman of the school's governors, said: "The safety of our pupils is paramount, together with general issues about traffic levels around the school."

"These improvements will help to further ease traffic congestion and improve safety for both pedestrians and motorists."

Other planned changes include altering the school's main entrance in Richard Thorpe Avenue and a new internal road layout system, to provide extra parking.

The school wants to build the new sports hall and an all-weather pitch with money raised by selling a section of playing fields for 30 homes.

Last week a decision on the plans was deferred for a second time after protesters and councillors were told at a meeting that an additional report drawn up at the last minute by the applicant would have to be studied in some depth by Kirklees Council officers.

The 15-page report covers highway issues.

The new traffic measures announced by the school will be provided by Magellan Residential , which has submitted a planning application for the land.

Kirklees Council has received 736 letters from the public objecting to the school's plans.