Planners have given the green light to build a new school in Efford, Plymouth, which the Council hopes will be key to the area's revival.

The £8.6 million school will replace Highfield and Plym View primary schools and promises young learners new facilities that the council, the school and the Heart of Efford Community Partnership hope will revitalise the area.

The 315-pupil school, to be called High View, will be built on the current Highfield site on Torridge Way. As well as learning spaces there will a sports hall, a performing arts hall, a studio with changing rooms for community use, meeting rooms and a media suite where youngsters can continue their award-winning film making and animation work.

There will be a 36-place nursery on the site, an integral Children's Centre and plenty of space for sports and arts for the community as well as the children.

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The plans put before the committee are the result of lots of discussions and activities between the architects, stakeholders such as the Heart of Efford Community Partnership, teachers, parents and children to make sure as many people as possible were involved in shaping the look and feel of the school.

Children formed their own 'design pod' and worked with Plymouth-based architects The Architects Design Group (ADG), who are working on behalf of the contractor Interserve Project Services Limited, which has been appointed to deliver the school by the Council.

They also worked with an artist in residence through Creative Partnerships on such things as the colour scheme and outside play areas for the school.

Councillor Grant Monahan, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People at Plymouth City Council, said: "A lot of work has gone into getting the designs to this stage - not just from the architects and organisations involved but the children and staff who have helped shape the sort of school it is going to be.

"We want our schools to be at the heart of our neighbourhoods and we are delighted that the young people and their families and friends already feel part of this, before a single brick is even laid!"

The new school is part of the Efford Building Communities Initiative, which has been funded by the South West Regional Development Agency and included a Masterplan for the sustainable development of Efford.

Projects already delivered include the new St Paul's Church and a new library on Efford Lane.

(CD/JM)