THE 30-year-old rotting mobile classrooms which were branded "shocking and scandalous" by the head teacher at a York secondary school will soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a massive £4.9 million new building project.

We spoke to Chris Bridge, head at Huntington School, to find how the money will be put to work, after members of a city council planning committee approved proposals to knock down temporary classrooms at the school and replace them with two new buildings.

"I think this is the largest school building project in terms of funding that City of York Council has carried out since it gained independence from North Yorkshire," said Mr Bridge, "We have campaigned long and hard for many years to get this and I think the end result will be a really fantastic building - it's certainly not going to be dull."

The school now plans to build a three-storey block between its gym and Huntington Road. The block will house a performing arts studio, teaching classrooms and music rooms as well as a youth centre - which will replace one already at the school.

A further two-storey block of eight classrooms will be built behind the gym.

"The unusual feature of this project is it,s not just for the school, but for the area and the wider community," said Mr Bridge, "There'll be a brand new and much better youth club with a real possibility for the youth club using the drama facilities as well as a public performance space on the ground floor.

"Each room has been designed to be as multi-functional as possible so that each of the spaces can be used all day and then hired out in the evening and used at weekends."

The new facilities will be available for public use, and will be open from 9am to 10pm on weekdays, and from 9am to 4pm on Saturdays.

The school has long campaigned to get rid of the 12 mobile blocks, which were built during the 1970s.

Mr Bridge said: "We all look forward to the final demise of the rotting mobile classrooms."

The wood in some of them is rotting and splitting, the classrooms have holes in them, and the heaters inside often leave pupils either shivering or baking hot.

The land they currently occupy will be redeveloped and used as part play space and part landscaped gardens.

The school has secured £2.6 million in Government funding to replace rotting classrooms, City of York Council will provide £1.5 million, and a further £800,000 will come from the school.

Mr Bridge said the school still needs to raise £240,000, but has a range or fundraising events lined up over the coming months, and he is confident they will reach their target.

Huntington Parish Council has welcomed the development, saying it will enhance community facilities offered by the school.

Coun Keith Hyman, parish councillor and ward member for Huntington, said: "We all see it as a great improvement to the school because it replaces portable cabins that are there anyway.

"We welcome the fact that it will be open for community use."

Updated: 09:03 Wednesday, April 20, 2005