Construction on a new school-building project in East Lancashire has begun.
A turf-cutting ceremony was held to mark the official start of the work to provide additional primary school education in Clitheroe from this September.
The new primary school is being built at Higher Standen Farm to allow Ribblesdale High School to become an all-through school.
The school is due to be completed by this August, with the first intake of 30 reception pupils starting in the autumn.
Over time, the school will provide 210 places to accommodate rising pupil numbers.
The turf-cutting ceremony took place on Wednesday, January 25 and was attended by Cllr Jayne Rear, cabinet member for education and skills, staff and pupils from Ribblesdale High School including Rachel Furness (Early Years Foundation Stage Lead) and Joanne Whalley (Primary Phase Lead), and representatives from construction firm Equans.
Cllr Jayne Rear said: "This innovative new primary school will deliver much-needed places for children in the Ribble Valley.
"We are constantly working hard to identify where more school places are needed, as we want every child in Lancashire to have access to the best possible education.
"We aim to deliver these school places in the most efficient way.
"We want the very best for Lancashire's children and young people as part of our pledge to make the county the best place to live.
"We must ensure that when construction is needed then it is done in an environmentally-friendly way, contributing towards the goal of making the county net zero for future generations."
Cllr Shaun Turner added: "The school is being designed and constructed to achieve carbon net-zero status.
"Its modular construction is more energy-efficient and means a faster build time.
"It will be installed with a ground source heat pump, supplying the school with a sustainable source of heat and hot water. Solar panels will also be installed on the roof, which will generate power for the school and car charging points will also be available for staff and visitors.
"We are very keen at Lancashire County Council to take steps wherever possible to make our projects as eco-friendly and as green as possible and this is just one example of many."
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