Primary school and nursery to move in £2m upgrade

A town's primary school, which is currently split over two sites, is going to be consolidated into one location as part of a £2m scheme.

Somerset Council has confirmed it is going ahead with a project for Herne View Primary School in Ilminster to expand its Ditton Street site, and leave its Silver Street location.

The single-site primary school on Ditton Street will have 14 classrooms for 420 students.

As part of the £2m upgrade, the council also plans to refurbish a former adult education building at Ditton Street where the current nursery will relocate and also expand.

Somerset Council said Ilminster would need more primary school places in future due to local housing developments.

It said a previous plan to build a new primary school as part of one of those housing developments, on Canal Way, would have cost £13m.

Council leaders now plan to sell the land it owns on Canal Way, which was earmarked for the school, to housing developers.

The nursery is also currently split over the two sites and only offers places for children aged two and over.

The refurbished adult education building would see the nursery operate from one site, with 64 places including for babies and toddlers.

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