A SCHOOL building funded by villagers is to be demolished to make way for a new prefab children's centre despite objections from fundraisers.

Parents in West Knighton and Broadmayne raised thousands of pounds in the 1980s to build the playgroup building at Broadmayne First School.

They said that they were outraged at plans to knock the building down to make way for a new unit for the children's centre saying the existing building was perfectly sound. Broadmayne Parish Council also objected to the plan saying they would prefer it if the existing building could be used.

But members of Dorset County Council's planning committee yesterday agreed the wooden unit should be knocked down and replaced with a prefabricated building for a new Sure Start children's centre planned for the site. The building would also be used by the pre-school.

Committee members agreed that the work should go ahead after hearing that the current trustees of the building had not objected to the work and neither had the governors at the school.

Planning officer Peter White told the meeting: "There have been no objections from the trustees of the pre school or from the people who own the fabric of the building."

Mr White told the meeting that the prefabricated building was to be moved to the site from Weymouth's Holy Trinity School and was only two years old.

He said that was the cheapest option for the site and although they had looked into removing the original building to be used elsewhere it was not suitable for removal.

Members of the committee approved the work but granted the temporary planning permission for the site for 10 years instead of the five years recommended by officers.

Coun Peter Farrell said he thought that five years was too short because by the time the new building was in place it would have to be removed after four years.

The situation will be reviewed in 2017.