IT’S out with the old and in with the new at Over Hall Community School after planning chiefs gave the green light for redevelopment.

The primary school, in Ludlow Close, Winsford, has been given planning permission from Cheshire West and Chester Council to replace an ageing mobile classroom with an extension to the main school building.

Claire Edgeley, headteacher at Over Hall, believes the time is right to retire the school’s old mobile classroom.

“The mobile classroom had come to us second-hand from the old High Street site,” she said.

“It came to us quite a while ago and it’s now getting to the stage where it would cost a lot of money to repair and it would be better to look at something more long-term.

“The mobile can get quite hot in the summer, and it can be quite chilly when the heaters haven’t been on in the winter.”

Over Hall has bid for funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency, and it is now waiting on another approval from CWAC as the school’s landlord before it can begin work.

The extension will include two new classrooms, plus accessible toilets and store rooms, and Mrs Edgeley believes the school’s pupils will see the benefit of a fresh learning environment.

“I think having brand new classrooms just says it all,” she added.

“It will be a like-for-like replacement for the old classrooms and toilets, and it will be fabulous for the children.

“The next step is to let the parents know, but I am sure they will welcome it. There may be some disruption as we get on with the work but because we are limiting the use of the mobile now there shouldn’t be too much disruption.”

Once CWAC gives the green light for work to begin as the school’s landlord, Over Hall can begin a tendering process to find a builder.

Mrs Edgeley hopes work can begin in the summer, while the school is yet to decide if another use can be found for the mobile classroom or if it will be demolished.