A PLAN for a new £9m school in a Hampshire city has been given the green light by council chiefs.

Bosses at Hampshire County Council have rubber stamped plans for Barton Farm Primary School in Winchester.

The new school is set to have capacity for 450 pupils and will be an academy primary school – meaning it is free of council control.

The school is on the site of a new development for 2,000 homes at Barton Farm.

It was part of an overall £15.5 million investment in education facilities in the county – which will also see Leesland C of E Junior School in Gosport expanded and Linden Education Centre in Aldershot remodelled and refurbished.

Executive Member for Education at Hampshire County Council, Councillor Peter Edgar, said: “Pupil numbers at Hampshire’s schools continues to rise, and our investment in schools to provide the additional places is keeping pace, thanks to our strong track record in planning for the future.

“We pride ourselves on investing in quality school buildings that are built to be sustainable and provide a good environment for learning.

“Having a significant in-house team of designers means that we can provide excellent facilities using innovative thinking and the latest technological developments to make the most of the opportunity.”