MULTI-MILLION pound plans to rebuild a Southampton secondary school have been given the thumbs up.

Last night Southampton City Council planing bosses gave their backing to £20m plans to overhaul the run-down Bitterne Park school buildings, first revealed by the Daily Echo in July.

The plans will see the 1950s-era building at the Copsewood Road site will be torn down and replaced with a brand new building.

That would mean the end of a long saga during which the school lost out on funding for the work on several occasions.

Head teacher Susan Trigger told the panel that the school had been oversubscribed for 12 years and this development would provide 300 more places.

She added: "I hope you look at this favourably."

Councillor Daniel Jeffrey added that this was "important" opportunity for the city.

However concerns were raised by one objector, Roger Woodhouse, a resident of neighbouring Oaktree Road.

While he didn't have objection to the principle of the scheme, he said the design needed improvement as the current plans would have an impact on his home and he also feared the road surfaces would not be able to cope with the heavy vehicles during the construction phase, as well as the increased traffic when it is finished.

The blueprint for the site would see a three-and-a-half storey teaching block thrown up on the site to replace some of the existing buildings.

Councillor Hecks said it was an "excellent scheme", which was echoed by the rest of his colleagues.

The panel voted unanimously in favour of the plans and the recommendation to delegate the development to the planning and development manager to grant permission.