Developers have broken ground on the site of a new 420-place primary school near Norwich. 

The new school is being built on land off Colney Lane in Cringleford in anticipation of an influx of more than 1,300 new homes - an increase of around 50pc of its current size - and to minimise potential strain on its existing primary school.

A ground-breaking ceremony was attended by Norfolk County Council, which is funding and commissioning the new school, as well as the Inspiration Trust and developers RG Carter.

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The new two-storey building will be the village's second primary school and will have electric charging spaces, external hard and soft-surfaced outdoor play areas, and car parking for staff and visitors.

Its design and layout have reportedly been created to reduce net carbon in the energy demands of the school and respect the local area.

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Due to open in September 2024, it is one of 26 proposed schools for the county within the next 10 years as part of the council's £308 million Local Growth and Investment Plan. 

Gareth Stevens, chief executive officer of Inspiration Trust, said: "We are delighted to have been awarded the opportunity to open a new free school in Cringleford and it was wonderful to see the building works under way.

"We have a clear mission across all our schools - to provide the children of our county with the best possible education and being able to open this new free school in Cringleford will enable us to expand further on this, improving outcomes for even more children and setting them up to succeed in the next stage of their education."