PLANS to generate about £1.4m by selling off part of a school playing field to help the campus realise its sporting dreams have been given the all-clear by Whitehall.

Cash from the sale of land for homes at Crestwood Community School, which serves the giant Boyatt Wood housing estate, will be ploughed back into providing a new community sports and performance centre.

Hampshire County Council has already lodged an outline planning application with Eastleigh Borough Council for 80 homes in a corner of the playing field site adjoining Woodside Avenue.

The site represents about a quarter of the land behind the Shakespeare Road school - but Crestwood first had to get permission from the Department for Education and Skills to dispose of the "surplus" playing fields.

With the Whitehall hurdle cleared, the school can now look forward to next month when Eastleigh planners are likely to take the decision on the housing scheme.

Crestwood's wish-list for the new £2.3m centre includes an indoor sports hall for football, netball and badminton plus drama and dance facilities.

An all-weather artificial pitch with floodlighting, high quality changing rooms and, possibly, a fitness suite are also included.

Yesterday the Daily Echo revealed how the school had been given a £250,000 Lottery hand-out for new changing rooms and shower facilities.

Welcoming approval by the Department for Education and Skills, Crestwood head teacher Philip Munday said: "It is excellent news. It will provide real facilities both for us and the local community.

"This facility will undoubtedly make a significant difference to the curriculum, providing pupils with experiences in a much wider range of sports."

He said previous Ofsted reports had commented that the school provision of indoor facilities was not good enough but the new centre would give the school the chance to put that right.

The sports and performance centre would also increase the number of local community groups using Crestwood's facilities out of school hours.

"There are plans to make the new centre's facilities available for hire in the evenings, at weekends and during the holiday periods," said Mr Munday.

Assuming planning permission is granted, it is anticipated that the centre would be built and ready for the start of the autumn term next year.

Funding is being sought from the government's New Opportunities Fund, Foundation for Sport and the Arts and Football Foundation.

Eastleigh council is also providing some financial support as the new centre would significantly enhance facilities available in the community.