Monmouthshire County Council's Cabinet has approved recommendations to include a capital budget of £4.5 million for the development of a new 210 place primary school in Raglan within the Council's Capital Programme .

The development is part of the Welsh Government 21st Century Schools Programme, a collaboration of local authorities and government, to create a generation of modern state of the art schools in the 'right places with the right facilities'.

This involves changing classrooms into learning plazas, and ensuring that all aspects of education reflect modern learning and is carried out to the highest standard.

Raglan Primary School was identified as a priority due to the shortcomings of the current building, with major issues such as energy use and deterioration such as timber rot in the external walls.

This development is expected to reduce present maintenance costs, provide a suitable environment for 21st Century learning and also promote the community campus model within the village of Raglan.

The current Raglan Primary School has poor energy efficientcy and high maintenance levels with limitations over access, comfort levels, light levels and ventilation and this is reflected in the county's condition survey records which indicate it is among six primary schools that fall into the lowest category.

Also, as one of only six schools in Monmouthshire which separates junior and infants into separate blocks - the renovation will bring all children at a primary level together under the same roof.

A spokesman for MCC said, "The project has been put forward in the overall context of Monmouthshire County Council's strategic programme for school development and will provide a foundation for a very modern approach to education within the area.

"The new school will create flexible facilities and an environment that promotes new approaches to teaching and ways of working.

"It will also provide the highest quality of  learning to assist in raising standards of achievement and attainment."

Some £200,000 of the initial feasibility works have been funded from the budget already allocated from 21st Century works created for such purposes.

She added, "The funding is being made available a year before the 21st Century Schools programme is due to start and reflects the council's track record in delivering the UK's most modern and sustainable primary schools."

Of the remaining £4.5 million, 50 per cent will be funded by the Welsh Government, and the remaining 50 per cent is expected to come from capital receipts, such as the sale of the Abergavenny livestock market site.

Penny Jones, ward councillor for Raglan said, "It is such a feel good factor now that the work is definitely going ahead.

"There are still some meetings to be had, but this has been a long time coming and I'm thrilled that it now has the green light.

"The current state of the school building is poor, and we are glad that soon the building will reflect the teaching standards of the school, which are really excellent.

"It will also bring a lot of young families to the area, as the most important thing that a family will consider about an area is the quality of the schools, so this really will benefit not just the pupils but the entire area as a whole."

She also commented on the importance of the fact that the build will utilise the ideas of the children when developing the plans for the build.

Councillor Jones added, "The children at the school will be an integral part of the build, as they will be consulted on how it should all go ahead, and what they want to get out of their new school.

"They are the most essential part to this development, so we want them to be satisfied with the end product."

Head teacher of the school, Jeremy Piper has also expressed his delight at the news that the development has had to go-ahead from cabinet, and is excited for building work to commence.

The cabinet has agreed to the commencement of the project in June 2014 and, following full council approval, to include the remaining funding required for the project in its Capital Programme.

It is expected to be completed by September 2015.