A HEADteacher expressed his delighted yesterday when his school took an important step towards getting two extensions.

Durham County Council has applied for planning permission to build the new sections at Teesdale Comprehensive School, in Barnard Castle.

One will be a technical block costing £1.12m and the other will be a building for the performing arts costing £460,000.

Headteacher Paul Harrison said: "This is absolutely wonderful news because the school has been crying out for this extra space for about 30 years."

Currently, dozens of pupils have to walk every day to and from a building near Barnard Castle Primary School for technical lessons.

Mr Harrison said: "It takes them at least seven minutes to walk there and another seven minutes back, so a lot of time is being wasted every week.

"We also badly need a new place for music and drama, which are taught at the moment in a converted science laboratory. It will be a great help to have one specially built for the purpose."

The extensions will be the first built at the school since it opened 45 years ago.

The plan will be dealt with by Teesdale District Council.