THIS is the way education bosses expect Shoebury’s new £8million school to look.

Southend Council has now submitted a planning application for a replacement building for Hinguar Primary School, in Gunners Park.

The three-storey school will be built south of New Garrison Road and officials hope it will be finished by January 2012.

It will include a nursery for 26 children and space for 300 older pupils.

There will also be scope to add another four classrooms if they are needed to meet demand from the growing community, taking the total school roll to 440.

If that happens, the expanded school will be providing more than 200 extra school places in Shoebury.

The old, 224-pupil, Hinguar School, in Hinguar Street, is more than 100 years old and on a site too small even for present numbers. Plans for the new school show all classrooms, offices, meeting rooms, and a hall on the first and second floors, with car and bicycle parking and changing rooms underneath.

Access will be from Barge Pier Road, with room for 31 cars in the car park.

Southend councillor responsible for schools, Roger Hadley, said: “It’s an exciting design and long overdue. It’s something the children of Shoebury should be looking forward to.

“There will be a much better learning environment, bigger classrooms, better facilities and everything.

“They’ve been confined to such limited areas in the old school.

“It will be good for the area as a whole.”

Mr Hadley, a former chairman of governors at the school, added: “I’ve been waiting for this for years.”

The new site also has room for a small outdoor swimming pool, though there is no funding for it at present.

Some of the school’s facilities, such as the hall, kitchen and sports pitches, will be available for community groups to use in the evenings.

Planning permission is expected to be granted by August 9.