A nursery that closed after a baby boy died in a choking tragedy will be turned into a new school after plans were given the green light.

Jelly Beans in Kingsnorth, Ashford shut three years ago, weeks after the death of nine-month-old Oliver Steeper.

An inquest later heard he had been fed chopped-up penne pasta and bolognese at the Field View site - a meal his parents say he was not yet ready for.

Now, officers at Ashford Borough Council (ABC) have approved a planning application to turn the building into a new school for children with special educational needs (SEN).

The officer's report stated: “The proposal is considered to be acceptable in principle and would not cause materially greater harm to the amenity of local residents or parking/highway safety issues than the previous use of the site as a children’s nursery.”

Applicant Dave Saunders, who bought the site earlier this year, previously said he was “confident we can shake its reputation”.

Speaking to KentOnline this week, he said: “We’re really delighted with the approval, and work on the school is already underway.

“We’re hoping to open as soon as we can.”

Work at the former nursery is hoped to be completed by mid-January.

The school will be run by Mr Saunders’ wife, Amy, who has experience working with SEN children, and three other industry partners. They are currently waiting for an Ofsted licence to open the facility.

In planning literature submitted to ABC, Mr Saunders, of Birch Investments, explained the facility is the “perfect place” to offer SEN provision.

The site currently features six classrooms, but documents state that “the possibility of adding a seventh” exists.

“By opening this school, we can help bridge the gap for families desperate for more SEN provision,” planning documents add.

“We believe that transforming it into an SEN school will bring enormous benefits to the community without disrupting the surrounding area.”

Mr Saunders, 35, says he has been in contact with Oliver’s parents about the project, which is set to cater for 60 to 70 children aged seven to 16.

He also says he is planning to include a tribute to Oliver at the site.

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Earlier this year, an inquest into Oliver’s death returned a conclusion of misadventure and found “no evidence which would show failures by the nursery or its staff”.

A jury of five men and five women returned their verdict after two hours of deliberation.

Oliver’s parents, Lewis and Zoe Steeper, maintained that staff did not have permission to feed their son what they did, saying he had just started to move onto purees and appropriate finger food at home.

His mum added: “No parent should ever leave their child at nursery for them not to come home.”

Since Oliver’s death, the couple have set up a foundation in his memory, supplying vital anti-choking devices, known as LifeVacs, to pre-schools.