A MULTI-MILLION pound eco-friendly primary school is to be built following a Government grant of more than £2m.

Staff and pupils at Pelton Junior and Infant School, near Chester-le-Street, have been waiting for a new school for some time.

Their school buildings date back to 1901 and were placed at the top of Durham County Council's priority list for replacement.

Earlier this year, the council was invited to apply for funding from the Government to meet the cost of the building. On Thursday, North Durham MP Kevan Jones was told by Schools Standards Minister David Miliband they had been successful.

Yesterday, Durham County Council's cabinet member for education, Councillor Neil Foster, and Mr Jones visited the school to break the news that the Government had offered just over £2m to fund a new school.

The school, which will cost a total of £3.078m will have places for 390 primary school children and a 39-place nursery unit and will include the latest design and environmentally-friendly devices.

There will be built-in security measures, solar power, water recycling and bio-fuel boilers.

There will also be an information technology suite, a place for special needs teaching and provision for an out-of-hours kids' club.

Mr Jones said: "It is wonderful news for the children of Pelton and will make such a difference to their education in the critical early years.

"It is great news for the children, their families, the staff and the whole community."

The school is to be built on a playing field close to the main entrance of the old school.

Once it is in use the old school buildings will be demolished and a replaced with a playing field.

Coun Foster said: "This is great news for Pelton. We tried once before to win funding to replace the schools, but without success.

"The amalgamation of the junior and infant schools into one new building will solve a number of problems in one fell swoop and create a showpiece of primary education in the area."