Future pupils of the new Maine Road primary school visited the former Manchester City Football Club on Monday.

The children joined Councillor Sheila Newman to walk around the construction area and look at plans and a DVD showing how their new school is going to look.

Set to open in 2009, the school will be created by the merging of existing Bishop Bilsborrow RC Primary and St Edwards RC Primary and will form a critical part of the regeneration of the whole Moss Side and Rusholme area. Major social and economic improvements are already underway as the area is being transformed into a thriving, lively, desirable place to live in Manchester.

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The old football ground is also the site for a Lowry Homes development of 444 new homes, providing improved housing quality and choice in the area. In addition there is a proposal for a new Manchester Primary Care Trust health centre and a number of other public space improvement initiatives are underway, through Manchester City Council's My Place My Space programme.

Councillor Sheila Newman, Executive Member for Children's Services said: "The state-of-the-art teaching and learning facilities, housed in a modern, purpose built school, will be an invaluable asset to Moss Side and Rusholme. Education is at the forefront of all regeneration schemes, as standards in education and creating better opportunities for young people are the key to safeguarding a positive future for them and the wider community."

The school is being built by developer Willmott Dixon, with architects Stride Treglown Chapman Robinson. Also visiting the site were Alan Addison, Principal Technical Architect of the Council's Corporate Technical Services and Anthony Dillon, Willmott Dixon's Managing Director in Manchester.

(CD/JM)