CONTRACTS are to be put in place for a £900,000 expansion of a popular primary school.

Darlington Borough Council has given permission to waive the tendering process and employ a specialist contractor to expand Harrowgate Hill Primary School.

The contract waiver was necessary to comply with the building's private finance initiative contract.

The expansion will allow an extra 105 pupils to attend the school - an extra 15 pupils per year group - increasing the number of pupils at the school by about one-fifth, up from 493.