A NEW £17.6 million school building is being lined up for Budmouth Technology College.

The Weymouth school lost out last year to Queen Elizabeth School in Wimborne to become Dorset's pathfinder school for the future and undergo a major re-development.

But members of Dorset County Council's cabinet yesterday agreed to spend £17.6 million to replace the school's existing four-storey Clare Hall building after hearing that the building would become unsafe to occupy beyond 2009/10.

Stephen Prewett, director for children's services, told the meeting: "The school is flourishing. It has over 1,500 pupils on the roll and at any one time 1,000 of them are using Clare Hall but the building is no longer fit for purpose and I am advised that the building should not be used beyond 2009."

He said that if the council did not push ahead with the replacement of the school as soon as possible, students would have to be decanted' into temporary accommodation and that could end up costing the council £11 million.

Mr Prewett added: "Spending £17.6 million seems the best option".

Councillor Toni Coombs, cabinet member for children's services said: "There have been a lot of discussions with the school and local MP and they are fully supportive of this option."

Coun Hilary Cox said that Budmouth had come a very close second when they were deciding which school should become the pathfinder school last year and deserved the new building. What's particularly good with this is that we are going to fund a building where the building standards are high and it is going to have a long life."

College principal David Akers said that the decision was good news.

"It's very exciting for the whole community and will form the first phase of a proposed two-phase redevelopment.

"We have been on this road for three years and have been talking with builders, and are very far advanced with the project, so to know we have this money is great news. We are starting this summer and hope the new building will be open in time for September 2009. It's great that it is finally going ahead."

Funding for the replacement school has come from the county council's modernising schools project budget.