Hertfordshire's first net-zero carbon school approved

The school in Buntingford will have no south-facing windows to prevent over-heating

Plans for a county's first net-zero carbon school have been approved by councillors.

Hertfordshire County Council granted planning permission for a 300-pupil primary school and nursery in Buntingford.

The school will have triple-glazed windows and solar panels to power electric vehicle charging points.

Planning officer at the authority, Rob Egan, said there was a "compelling need for this school".

The two-storey building, to be built on part of the former Sainsbury's depot site, off the A10, hopes to open for September 2022.

The council said it would provide the additional school places needed for children living in the hundreds of new properties built in the town, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The county council was told the building was needed because all the schools in Buntingford were already full

Conservative councillor Jeff Jones told the council's development control committee that about 1,500 homes had been built in Buntingford since 2011.

He said he was "really pleased this much-needed facility" would meet the demand for school places.

• Councillors approve £20m renewable energy park

• Stop knocking down buildings, say engineers

• New town to blame for empty ponds, says report

Councillors were told air-source heat pumps will heat the building and its water.

The school will include a rooftop outdoor classroom, play areas and a "forest school".

All the teaching spaces in the school will face north, without south-facing windows that could cause rooms to over-heat, while the "social functions" of the school would face south.

There would also be conservation measures incorporated to limit the amount of water used.

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [e-mail]