A MULTI-million pound free school is to be built in Burnley after plans for the project were given the go-ahead by councillors.

Work on the new three-storey education site in Byron Street will begin as soon as possible.

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The new building, subject to a list of planning conditions, will be home to the controversial Burnley High School, which is currently based at Parkhill Business Park, Padiham Road.

The campus will be built on the site of the former Habergham High School, which was demolished earlier this year, and will have capacity for 650 pupils, including 200 in the sixth form.

Burnley High School currently has around 120 pupils studying at Parkhill.

Elizabeth Haddock, Burnley High School’s executive principal, said: “At last we are ready to start the final stage of the journey to Burnley High School being built on the old Habergham site.

“We are thrilled that the inspirational design for the building will now move forward to the construction phase.

“The building will create spaces that will support the innovation and high standards already apparent at the school.”

While bosses at the school, which is sponsored by Chapel Street Community Schools Trust, want work to start as soon as possible, they haven’t put a deadline on when they want to move in, although they had stated a hope to be in by September 2016.

The new school will include a ‘super block’ - a large internal space at the centre of the building which will be used to foster a ‘community feel’. The main hall will double as an amphitheatre.

Free schools benefit from Government funding but operate outside the control of the local authority.

Burnley High School opened its doors for the first time in September 2014, attracting 33 pupils for its first year.

Campaigners, including Lancashire’s NUT representative Simon Jones and Burnley MP Julie Cooper, had voiced their concerns about the opening of the free school, with existing secondary schools not at full capacity.