LODDISWELL is finally set to get its new school, after decades of waiting.

Loddiswell Primary School is currently situated within a one way system, meaning there is no way to expand or extend the school, and when the new estate at the top of the village was built, there was a covenant on the land to specifically build a new primary school.

Local farmer Paul Harvey gifted the plot of land for the school, with a covenant that runs out after seven years.

The new school planning application is currently with Devon County Council’s planning department and features the space for five classrooms, with the funding for four, meaning that the school can extend when required.

It also features a multi-use games area, a grass sports area, a forest school area, vegetable beds, a kitchen, library and a hall space that spills into an outside area.

Kate Wotton, lead architect on the project, explained the sustainability of the new building: ‘There will be a dry swale pond with reeds to absorb rainwater and drain into soakaway tanks, there will be solar panels on the roof and has been designed to be naturally ventilated.’

Neil Pateman, senior project manager, said: ‘It has taken four or five years, and it has been a battle to get the funding to get to this point.

‘The current school building will be sold and we are expecting to get a decision on the planning application in February, start the work on the playing field in April or May, and due to the pre-fab nature of the building, we are expecting the project to be completed in around January or February 2018.’

Sue Jezzard, executive head, said they ‘wouldn’t be here without the generosity of Paul Harvey and we are hoping to honour him with some kind of plaque to thank him’.

She continued: ‘The current school location is not ideal, we are too close to the road, so we have a lack of space and are very close to traffic fumes. We have a playing field but it takes around 20 mins to walk pupils up there and they have to cross roads, so its not ideal.

‘We’ve had great support from County Councillor Rufus Gilbert, the parish council and Dr Sarah Wollaston MP, but its now or never with the funding we have. People have been waiting decades for a new school building in Loddiswell.

‘Everyone is really excited, all the governors and the other schools in the federation and they are all really supporting the school.’

You can view the application on the Devon County Council planning website: planning.devon.gov.uk and searching for application number: DCC/3920/2016