CHURCHERÕS College has this week announced that its junior school is to have a permanent home in The Spain after governors decided to buy the site.

ChurcherÕs has been battling to establish a new junior school before the lease expired on Moreton House in The Spain next year.

The college finally got the go ahead, last March, for a new junior school to be built on its Ramshill campus after 15 months of delays and negotiations.

The green light for the building came only after lengthy debates by East Hampshire district councillors who were concerned about the dangers of more traffic in Love Lane, which they said was already heavily used by parents dropping children at Herne Junior School.

ChurcherÕs amended its plans to remove car access to the new school from Love Lane.

But the governors decided to put the controversial plans for a new junior school on hold last September and look for an alternative site.

Michael Gallagher, chairman of the governors, told The Herald this week: ÒPlanning consent was granted last year. However a series of restrictive conditions concerning access left the governors with no choice but to explore an alternative strategy.Ó

He added: ÒI can now confirm that the existing site in The Spain has been purchased by ChurcherÕs College and the future of the school has been secured.Ó

He said a phased improvement of the junior school facilities was now scheduled.

ÒDuring the summer holiday period this year it is expected that the main house will be refurbished,Ó he said.

ÒNext year a new building is planned at the bottom of the site and the existing external classroom buildings will be demolished.Ó

He said both the schemes would seek to retain the character of the area and were subject to planning consent.

Applications are being made to East Hampshire District Council.