PLANS for the rebuilding of a school in east Durham have been given the go-head.

Durham county councillors yesterday approved the plans for Our Lady Star RC Primary School in Thorpe Road, Horden.

Members of the area planning committee meeting for central and east Durham were told the existing building was suffering from structural problems and two of the classroom were out of use because of possible dangers for pupils.

The existing school was build over 50 years ago, with several extensions added over the years to accommodate increases in pupil numbers.

The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle proposes to keep the existing building during the construction of the new school - with the school eventually being transferred to the new site.

The existing school buildings will then be demolished and converted to playing fields to compensate for the loss of the facilities covered by the new building.

The new school will be sited to the east of the existing building and will be a single storey structure with a floor area of 952 sq m.

Sport England had initially objected on the grounds that the development would lead to the permanent loss of part of an existing playing field.

But the body later withdrew its objection after it got further detail about the development.

In a report to the committee meeting planning officers recommended approval saying that the new school would be in a form that "sits comfortably on the site in a visually pleasing manner".