AN expanding Blackburn school is to get a state-of-the-art £700,000 new building for its final year pupils.

Roe Lee primary is set to expand from 300 to 370 children when the new building opens in Sept-ember next year.

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The scheme involves the removal of existing temporary classroom build-ings and replacing them with a new single-storey school extension.

Planning permission from Blackburn with Darwen Council has been applied for, with works due to start in January subject to approval.

Mark Geldard, head of the Emerald Avenue school, said: “I am delighted at this exciting scheme. It is going to provide a special place for our final year pupils aged 10 and 11 in year six.”

Roe Lee ward councillor Phil Riley said: “This is an outstanding school whichalready has a waiting list.

“Demand for places is growing and in the Roe Lee draft plan, there is land allocated for new homes which will increase demand, so this is sensible forward planning.”

There will be a temporary road laid from Brown Hill Drive to the school during the construction of the new brick building with timber cladding and a pitched metal roof.

Blackburn with Darwen Council Education boss Dave Harling said: “Cont-inued investment is essential to make sure there are sufficient pupil places within the maintained sector to meet the popul-ation growth, and that those places provide the quality teaching, learning and play environment crucial in helping children to reach their educational potential.

“In order to provide the required additional places efficiently and effectively the council continually review all schools within the borough and identified that Roe Lee Primary required the development of additional places. Schools are selected on the basis of location, popularity and practicality.

“Based on these criteria, £700,000 was secured in 2013/14 from the Depart-ment of Education’s Tar-geted Basic Need Capital programme.

“It is intended that following planning app-roval the works will start in January 2015 with the project completing for the September 2015 intake.”