BOROUGH bosses have backed detailed plans for a replacement secondary school in Basingstoke - one which will boast state-of-the-art information technology facilities.

The new John Hunt of Everest School - earmarked for land at Wellfield Farm, Sherborne Road, and Greatfield Farm, Aldermaston Road - will be only the third secondary school to be built by Hampshire County Council in the last 25 years.

Outline planning permission was granted for the new facility - which will cater for 750 pupils, but could be extended to 900 - in June this year, but the county council has now drawn-up detailed plans for the school.

When open, the school will boast a floodlit synthetic turf pitch, a multi-use games area, a community resource centre and a health and fitness suite.

It is also planned to erect a youth-provision building comprising performing arts space and a district youth office on the site of the existing John Hunt of Everest School in Popley Way, Popley, Basingstoke.

On Wednesday, members of Basingstoke council's development control committee got the chance to have their say on the detailed plans.

Cllr Ian Powney, who represents Popley East, was pleased at the prospect of the new school, but asked that work on the proposed spine road be completed before the school opened to pupils.

Officers advised members that this would happen.

Other councillors also gave their seal of approval to the plans in principle, but raised concerns about the planned roofing materials and asked that the speed limit outside the school be reduced to 20mph - even though the county council has proposed to use bends, junctions and refuge islands to reduce speed.

After a short debate, councillors agreed to raise no objection to the proposals, subject to the roofing material being changed and there being a reduction in the speed limit.

The borough will now send its comments to the county council, which will make the final decision on the school application.