MULTI-million pound plans to rebuild a school judged to be in urgent need of redevelopment will be considered by councillors next week.

The Government has agreed to fund a rebuild of Ian Ramsey Church of England School, in Stockton-on-Tees, through its Priority Schools Rebuilding programme and contractor Robert McAlpine has been appointed to carry out the work.

If plans are approved it is hoped work will begin on the new school building this summer, next to the existing building, and be complete for pupils by September next year.

Stockton Borough Council’s planning committee will meet on Thursday, May 29 to discuss the proposals – but it has been recommended for approval by council officials.

The new 1,200-place school development will include play spaces, sports pitches and parking. There is no planned increase in either pupil or staff numbers.

The building will be located to the back of the existing north site and a new access is planned on Fairfield Road, which will become the main site entrance. It will form an “E” shape, and will be in two distinct areas, one for teaching and one for more community use and large group activities.

Concerns have been raised by residents about traffic congestion, highway safety and the impact on neighbouring properties.

The Priority School Building (PSB) programme was introduced by the coalition government after the previous government’s Building Schools for the Future was scrapped. Only schools in need of urgent repair were invited to bid.

Although most PSB schools are privately financed, those in the very worst states of repair were funded through Government cash and Ian Ramsey was judged to be in need of this.

A previous plan to merge Ian Ramsey School with Grangefield School was rejected.

James Wharton, Conservative MP for Stockton South, accompanied Education Secretary Michael Gove to Ian Ramsey School last year and pushed the case for both colleges to be redeveloped. Ian Ramsey was judged to be the most run-down school in Stockton and desperately needed refurbishment.