PLANS for a £3.5million education centre will be officially unveiled this week.

Primary school children in Wickford, Runwell, Crays Hill and pupils at the Castledon special school, will all be able to use the Collaborative Learning Centre.

Based at Bromfords School, in Grange Avenue, Wickford, the centre will offer music, drama, dance, technology and art facilities which are currently not available in the area.

Plans for the facility, which has been funded with Government cash, will go on show at an exhibition next week.

The architects behind the project have designed it to be environmentally friendly.

They are planning to build the learning complex using natural materials, such as timber and lime, and it will also have solar powered lighting, heat and ventilation.

Simon Walsh, Essex County Council's member for schools children and families, said: "This is a totally unique project, which will deliver a state of the art learning environment in an eco-friendly building that the whole community can benefit from.

"The centre will encourage collaborative learning between primary, secondary and special schools as well as benefitting the wider community, as it will be open outside schools hours."

There are also plans to have an IT adviser permanently based at the centre, to help children get to grips with computer technology.

It is hoped the complex, which is still in the pre-planning stages, will open its doors to children in September next year.

The exhibition will take place at Bromfords School, on Wednesday, from 4pm to 7pm.

Officers from Essex County Council and the architectural team will be on hand to discuss the centre's design.