A £3.5M extension at a Chorley primary school was opened at a special ceremony last week.

Lancashire County Council’s chairman, Anne Cheetham, cut the ribbon at the new building at Balshaw Lane Primary School in Euxton.

It includes classrooms, a resource room, intervention rooms, a larger main hall and a new staff room.

A new hard play area, a multi-use games area and a larger car park have also been provided.

The popular Chorley school, on Bredon Avenue, needed to expand to be able to meet increased demand for places now and in the future.

The expansion means that the number of pupils who are admitted to Reception every year will increase from 45 to 60, providing the additional places needed due to a rising birth rate and significant housing development in the area.

Cty Cllr Cheetham, unveiled a plaque at the event and said: “I’ve just seen for myself the fantastic new facilities that have been created for the pupils at this school.

“The school has been over-subscribed for a number of years now, so it is a great pleasure to be at the opening of the extension that will increase its capacity and allow many more children to enjoy their education here.

“We are constantly reviewing changing demographic factors to make sure the number and location of the school places we provide are adequate throughout Lancashire. The good news is that more children will be able to enjoy learning in a more modern environment.”

Helen Gregson, headteacher at the school, said: “The new building has made such a huge difference to what we can offer to pupils, parents, and the community at our school.

“It was great to be able to celebrate the new school building at the official opening, and importantly it gave people the opportunity to see our fantastic new facilities for themselves.”