NEW starters, plus older staff and students are enjoying the completion of a long-awaited major refurbishment at a town’s secondary school.

Plans have been on and off the drawing board for the much-needed replacement of facilities at Hetton School for most of the past decade.

But, following continued lobbying by local MP Bridget Phillipson, the member for Houghton and Sunderland South, the new £10m school complex opened for the start of the academic year.

The school, in North Road, Hetton-le-Hole, was originally among those pencilled in for funding under the old Building Schools for the Future programme, in 2007, but by the time the scheme was scrapped several years later, it was still awaiting an allocation of cash.

A further setback came when a potential private funding deal overseen by the Government failed to reach fruition.

But, with reports of leaking drainpipes, regular boiler breakdowns and other building failures, Hetton finally found its way onto a national long-list of 261 schools earmarked for support through the Priority Schools Building Programme, in 2012.

Following further delays, work finally began replacing the old buildings, last year.

It culminated in completion of the work in time for the start of the new term this month.

Head teacher Phil Keay, who has witnessed the many ups and downs in recent years, said it was a dream come true for all staff and students to finally be enjoying the plush new surrounds.

Despite the many setbacks, he added: “Now we have the new building it is absolutely brilliant and we are looking forward to the future.”