AN Accrington school's plan to build a new £2.5million sports hall has been given the go-ahead by planning officials.

Work is expected to start on March 22 to create a sports hall measuring 25 metres by 33 metres on land immediately north of St Christopher's School, in Queen's Road West.

The school also plans to build first floor extensions to existing buildings within the school complex to provide additional classrooms.

There was only one letter of objection to the plan from a nearby resident citing inadequate parking for staff and visitors, vandalism by schoolchildren and extra noise as concerns.

But the application was passed unanimously by the planning committee of Hyndburn Borough Council.

Funding has come from the government's New Deal for schools Major Improvement Project with ten per cent of the cash raised by pupils' parents.

Headteacher Alasdair Coates today said the sports hall would take the school into the 21st century.

He said: "We are delighted that at last we can provide for the national curriculum PE for our pupils.

"At present we have got only one small gym for 1,000 pupils, which was originally built for 450 pupils, and very cramped changing rooms.

"This will give us full changing facilities, a four-court sports hall with facilities for the disabled including a disabled-access lift.

"At last we will be providing for the needs of children in the 21st century to ensure that they do not become couch potatoes.

"The support we get from parents, who helped pay a quarter of a million towards ,

Mr Coates said he hoped the hall would be complete and ready to use by the beginning of the new school year, next September.