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Nearly half a million pounds is to be spent readying plans for a new building for a Herefordshire village primary school.

County councillors agreed in October 2022 to replace Peterchurch primary school on its current site in the Golden Valley to the southwest of the county, at a cost of over £10 million.

This is to increase its capacity from 105 to 140 pupils, adding a “nurture hub” for those with special educational needs, and is intended to be in use from September 2026.

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Herefordshire Council has now concluded a contract worth £467,287, including contingencies and fees, to Exeter-based Tilbury Douglas Construction to work up shovel-ready plans for the new building.

A council spokesperson said that while the award decision was made in June, “the signed contract is now in place and we look forward to working with Tilbury Douglas Construction as the project moves through the design stage”.

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The deal marks the first part of a design-and-build contract, the council’s decision notice says.

The school currently “occupies buildings which are in poor condition and unsuitable in many respects for the provision of primary education”, it explains.

A feasibility study has already shown that a new build would give better value for money than maintaining the current building, the cost of which is likely to be around £600,000 over the next three years.

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“Given the extent of the dilapidation at the school, health and safety issues could arise for which the council could be held liable,” while children would “continue to learn in an unsuitable environment”, it warns.

The council has also rejected the idea of closing the school and dispersing pupils among neighbouring schools, saying these lack capacity, entailing further costs of expanding them and also providing the necessary school transport.

The project now gives the council an opportunity to build its first carbon-neutral school – “showcasing its ambition to becoming carbon-neutral by 2030”, the council adds.