PLANS to build houses on a former primary school site have been approved, it was announced on Thursday.

The build, consisting of 38 new residential houses where Letchworth GC’s Westbury Primary School was situated, will go ahead subject to the completion of a section 106 agreement - ensuring that the development does not have a negative impact on the provision of local services - and aspects of the design being renegotiated to ensure it retains the character of the existing school building.

Hertfordshire County Council’s plans for the West View-based site - which has not been in use since Westbury School closed down in January 2008 - will also see 62 on-site parking spaces and the demolition of the old school entrance building, assembly hall and a detached outbuilding.

Responding to the decision, leader of the council and Letchworth South West ward Cllr Lynda Needham said: “Am I happy the school closed down? Of course not but that’s water under the bridge now and it was being left to look very run down and dilapidated.

“My only real disappointment is we don’t have many community facilities on the Westbury estate so that would’ve pleased local people and pleased me.

“But there’s a good mix with one-bed flats through to four-bed houses - it’s not all one style so there’s plenty of balance.”

*Last Thursday’s planning control committee meeting also saw a plan for 10 mobile homes to be built on the outskirts of Ashwell refused.

The proposed site adjacent to Green Lane was considered unsuitable as the plans failed to maintain the existing character of the village and the development would be outside the designated village boundary.