THE country's first £35m education village is likely to go ahead in Darlington next year after plans were approved.

The super-school, which will be built next to Haughton Community College in the town, will incorporate the secondary school, Springfield Primary School and Beaumont Special School in the first amalgamation of its kind.

Education will be provided for 1,400 pupils aged from three to 19.

Councillors yesterday unanimously approved the scheme, which will be built by Kajima Construction Europe.

Sport England agreed not to object to the scheme at the eleventh hour after it was satisfied that the provision of sports and playing pitches on the site were suitable for pupils and the wider community.

A two-storey building will form the centre of the school, with attached buildings providing extra classrooms, a swimming pool and sports hall.

Haughton School will be demolished once the school has been built alongside it. It is hoped it will be ready in September 2005.

One letter of objection had been received, expressing concern about extra traffic in Whinfield Road.

But planning officer Adrian Miller told a meeting of Darlington Borough Council's planning committee that studies had shown there would only be about 35 additional vehicles each morning and evening.

He said: "Officers have found this a fairly exciting design for the school. It is streets ahead of what is on the site at the moment and it will make a positive contribution to the character of the area."