PLANNERS have given the go-ahead for a new £12 million replacement school in Langlee.

The new three-storey building will feature 14 state-of-the-art classrooms, its own nursery, an adjoining special needs centre and a spacious sports hall.

There will also be a multi games area created in the landscaped grounds.

And a new 55-space car park.

Although the designs for the building, which were revealed in August, were met with a mixed reaction there has been no formal objections against the plans.

Planning officer Carlos Clarke said: "The building is on three storeys, but would be set well down from the Melrose Road, framed by woodland to west and south, and set back from Langlee Drive just enough that it can be set within a relatively spacious parkland style arrangement.

"The scale of building is large but, in this setting, it is appropriate to its context.

"The applicants have set the building as far as reasonably practicable into the site in order to achieve this outcome."

There had been delays with progressing the initial application after it was discovered that a resident's garden had been included in the plans.

And a revised set of drawings had to be produced.

Mr Clarke added: "There was an error on the original landscape drawing that included an area of garden owned by neighbours."

The current 1960s building will be demolished to make way for the new school.

Work is scheduled to start early next year with a completion expected in the summer of 2017.

Councillor Sandy Aitchison, who is spokesman for education at Newtown, said: “The primary school is an integral part of the local community and this new building with modern facilities will be a fantastic asset for generations of children, as well as the many local organisations and groups we hope will use it.”