STAFF and governors at Grafton School are relieved that their administration office, housed in a temporary building on the school site can stay, despite objections from Kennet District Council.

Councillors at Wednesday's meeting of the county council's regulatory committee overruled Kennet's objections and granted permission for the office to continue in its temporary premises for the next five years.

Kennet Council had complained that the office building is an unattractive structure, inappropriate to its location within a conservation area and adjacent to St Nicholas Church, a grade II*-listed building.

Councillors said that office accommodation should be provided within the permanent extension the school governors intend to erect shortly.

A report from Richard Lander, the county council's director of environmental services, said that because it was screened by tall, mature hedges, the office building was unlikely to affect the visual setting of the church.

He added: "The permanent extension referred to is purely a school initiative and is subject to receiving planning permission from the district council.

"It appears that it is not possible for the school to find office space at the present time in the extension because of space and cost constraints. However, the school hopes to dispense with the office within the next few years."

Head teacher Sarah O'Donnell said she was extremely pleased the office building, which she shares with the school's administrative officer, could stay.

She said: "We are hoping to start work on the extension very soon but there is no room in it for an office. It is an extension to the infants' classroom and hopefully there will also be room for a pre-school too. This is very important to the future development of the school.

"Children attending the pre-school will hopefully go on to become pupils at Grafton School itself."

Most of the £30,000 for the extension is being raised by parents and friends of the school, but there is a small contribution from the county council.