PLANS have been unveiled for a new 210-place school as well as a nursery on a former hospital site near a new housing estate.

If agreed, Essex County Council’s new St Luke’s School would be built on the former Runwell Hospital site in St Luke’s Way.

County Hall is planning the primary school and 56-place nursery for families in the new 575-home St Luke’s Park development.

Initial plans show two outdoor play areas for the nursery, sport pitches for the school as well as a library and special educational needs centre within the school.

Community leaders welcomed the plan, but said a medical facility should also be considered for the site.

David Harrison, Wickford Independent chair of Basildon Council’s neighbourhoods and public spaces committee, said: “A school was promised there and it will be needed and essential too.

“I think it’s a pity that no provision for health services was added to this new development.

“I think this area could have done with it, as these people will need to travel to Wickford or South Woodham Ferrers for services as it’s midway.

“The school is a good start but for that number of homes we do need to see some form of health services.

“With the added population it will increase the pressure on our health services.

“But it’s good to see it will not put added pressure on our good schools, although we don’t have timescales of when it will be built yet.”

Work started in February 2015 on the St Luke’s Park development.

Runwell Hospital was built in the 1930s and provided mental health services until it closed in 2010.

Families in the estate also welcomed the planned school and nursery as it means they will not have to travel to take children to school.

Sophie Scott, 27, said: “This sounds great we have children and will want to enrol them in these new services. It will save us travelling to Wickford, Basildon or even South Woodham Ferrers for school or nursery. I do also agree we need a doctors surgery and am surprised it was not added in the plans.”