CIVIC chiefs have backed plans for a new £6.2 million primary school, after signing off on releasing funds for the scheme.

The Chestnut Avenue Primary School, in Eastleigh, is anticipated to meet demand from the new 1,100-home development at North Stoneham, if plans are agreed by the borough council.

The school will have capacity for a total of 315 children, and building work will begin during spring 2019, to be completed during the summer of 2020, ready to receive its first pupils in the following September.

Set on two levels, the school’s facilities will include 11 classrooms, group working rooms, a main hall, library and staff room.

There will be play areas including a grass playing field, as well as a staff car parking, a bike shelter and scooter park for pupils.

The proposed new primary school will be a free school, as required by the Department for Education, and will be sponsored by the University of Winchester Academy Trust.

Councillor Stephen Reid, education chief at Hampshire County Council, said: “With construction of over 1,000 new homes underway at North Stoneham in Eastleigh, this new school will mean we can offer families a place for their child, near to where they live.

“We have a strong track record in planning for the future and this £6.2 million project is part of our programme to provide 17,500 new school places across the county by 2021, with a planned investment of £140 million.

“Like all of the new schools and school expansions that we build, Chestnut Avenue Primary School will benefit from the expertise of the county council designers who have many years of experience, specialising in school buildings.

“As a result, we can be sure that the standard of facilities will be high and that teaching spaces will be created that encourage learning and skills development, while being sustainable and energy efficient at the same time. Because we can do so cost effectively, taxpayers can be confident that the best value for money is achieved.”

It comes as the authority agreed a total investment of more than £9 million to build the school and expand two other schools – in Colden Common and Four Marks, creating more than 480 new school places. A planning application will now need be submitted and approved by Eastleigh council before any work can start.