A HAMPSHIRE education chief has approved one part of a £2 million investment at a Winchester primary school.

Winnall school is to be enlarged after county councillor Roy Perry, executive member for children’s services, approved the £777,000 extension and refurbishment of the school in Garbett Road.

The extension will provide two new classrooms, an extension to the staffroom, toilet and reconfigured library, special education needs space and IT suite. The school is contributing £39,000 to the extension project.

A re-cladding of the building costing around £1.17m is set to be approved by Hampshire County Council Leader, Ken Thornber.

The extension will provide an additional 30 school places, taking its capacity to 210.

Work is due to start in February 2013 and be completed for the start of the new year in September 2013.

The works are part of a £10.8m package of investment into primary school places in the city.

Cllr Perry said: “I am pleased to approve this project which will create capacity at the school to accommodate an additional 30 pupils to meet the increasing demand for primary school places. It is part of a wider programme of investment at schools across the city which will see hundreds of additional school places for 2013.

"Hampshire, like many parts of the country, is experiencing increased demand for primary school places. Winchester in particular, is attracting more and more young families not least because of the excellent quality of education our schools offer. The County Council is committed to ensuring pupils and staff have access to high quality facilities and this project will also see enhanced teaching and learning spaces for pupils and staff.”

Last July Cllr Perry approved 400 additional places across the following primary schools: All Saints, Harestock, Oliver’s Battery, St Bede, St Faith’s, St Peter’s, Stanmore, Weeke, Western and Winnall.