Hersham will get a new school, with smaller playing fields, after councillors granted conditional permission to revamp Rydens.

The funding for the completely new Rydens Enterprise School and Sixth Form (RES) will come from building 296 homes, which has already been granted outline planning permission.

Both applications have faced mixed reactions from people living near the site. Worries about increased traffic, surface water flooding, the decreased playing field size and the look of the developments have featured in discussions about both proposals.

Objector Darrell Johnson said: "I'm just here to represent the local residents surrounding the proposed school and just to voice our concerns as residents and as local Elmbridge residents here.

"So some areas residents are concerned about the land grab of school playing fields and this is something that has been going on since the 80s."

Ian McKenzie, bursar for the school, said the plans have "minimised to the maximum" the loss of the playing fields and confirmed this is the only way to get a new school.

He said: "I am sorry that Mr Johnson and some of our neighbours don't like our plans, I guess ultimately the design and appearance of the building partly comes down to taste.

"We and many of those that we have consulted on are very excited by them. They represent a state of the art, they certainly do represent a very positive long term plan for the school."

Mr McKenzie also spoke of plans to divide the school into four houses, Windsor, Hampton, Richmond and Claremont, with the aim of creating a more personal knowledge of students and therefore improving studying.

Councillor Ian Donaldson, for Hersham North, said: "Having been around the current school you can see that it's needed desperately and for the sake of the children I don't see any reason why this application shouldn't go through."

Councillors agreed unanimously to permit the build at the north area planning sub-committee on Monday, July 6.