Green light for multi-million pound improvements to Hampshire schools
Ones in Winchester, Havant, Fareham, Hedge End and Burley are all set to benefit
Multi-million pound plans to improve a number of Hampshire schools have been given the green light.
Several will undergo a makeover as plans to invest an extra ÂŁ5m into improvement work have been approved.
Additional sports facilities are set to be created at the Deer Park Secondary School in Hedge End.
The ÂŁ2.44m works will comprise an extension of the sports hall to provide community changing facilities and a floodlit all weather artificial 3G turf pitch.
It comes as the new school is set to open in September 2021.
Hampshire County Council has also approved plans to invest £500,000 on the Little Deer’s Day Nursery in Burley as it is set to be relocated from its current location off Ringwood Road to the site of Burley Primary School in Church Lane.
The council said "without this development, the longer-term future provision of early years education within Burley, serving Bransgore and Burley ward, would be at risk".
The decision comes as according to the county council "the current building occupied by the day nursery is beyond its useful life and in need of replacement".
Stanmore Primary School in Winchester is also set to undergo a ÂŁ500,000 revamp.
The plans are set to be determined in summer this year and if approved the school would have a new school reception area, a refurbished office for the senior leadership team, a relocated waiting area, new doubleglazed external screens and a staff car park to the north of the site.
The school was built in 1929, according to the county council.
The authority said the proposed plans "seek to address shortcomings in the existing accommodation and will provide a new school reception to improve access and safeguarding, address some of the existing building condition issues and improve staff car parking".
Riverside Community Special School in Havant and St Francis Special School in Fareham could be expanded through the use of modular accommodation while internal work could be carried out at Hollywater School in Bordon.
A public consultation is set to be held and if the plans are approved, new school places would be available from September 2021.
A total of ÂŁ225,000 is instead set to be spent to expand the hall at South Farnborough Junior School in Farnborough.
Three new classrooms are expected to be built at Icknield School in Andover as part of a ÂŁ2.5m investment.
The move would increase the capacity of the school’s main campus on River Way by ten pupils to 75.
The existing teaching space is also set to be improved.
A final decision is expected to be made in May this year.
The extra investments were backed by Cllr Roz Chadd, executive member for education and skills and Cllr Patricia Stallard, executive member for children’s services and young people.
Cllr Stallard said:
"There are some very exciting new built schools that will be opening in September and some much-needed extensions to existing schools. I am really happy to approve all those recommendations."