WORK on a £1.7 million extension to Aberlady Primary School will begin next year.

The school is set to expand after East Lothian Council approved plans which will see two new classrooms created.

Work is due to get underway in May next year and will continue for much of the following 12 months, with a completion date pencilled in of summer 2022.

Councillor Shamin Akhtar, the local authority’s spokeswoman for education and children’s wellbeing, welcomed the announcement.

She said: “The planned works at Aberlady will provide a modern, accessible primary school that is suited to the growing roll and the needs of their school community.

“I’m pleased to see a milestone being reached with the planning permission being granted.

“Our projects team will continue to work closely with the school and its parents and carers to update them as the project moves forward.”

Planning officials at the local authority confirmed that the scheme had been approved earlier this month after receiving no objections from members of the public.

Initially, it had been planned that the work would be split into two phases, with a view to it being carried out this summer.

The coronavirus pandemic, however, meant that that was not possible with all of the work now being carried out in one phase next year.

A spokeswoman for the council said: “We originally planned to deliver this project in two phases, focusing on internal works and some landscaping first before moving to the construction of the new extension.

“Due to the impacts of lockdown on the construction sector, we were unable to progress phase one over the summer period so have revisited the schedule and will carry out all works in a single phase.

“This is due to run from May 2021 until summer 2022.

“The scope of works remains unchanged.”

The proposals were due to be discussed by the school’s parent teacher association yesterday (Wednesday).

Previously, East Lothian Council highlighted the growing population in the village and said that a new, larger hall would be created within the school, as well as the additional two classrooms.

A temporary unit, which currently houses a classroom, will be removed as part of the plans.