A site for a “much-needed” new secondary school in Harpenden has been secured.

Contracts were exchanged last Friday (January 15) with the owners of land adjacent to Lower Luton Road and Common Lane.

The new school will be built by the Education Funding Authority once studies have been carried out on the site.

In the meantime, Hertfordshire County Council is entering into detailed discussions with the Education Funding Authority and the Harpenden Secondary Education Trust on the next steps of the development.

David Williams, cabinet member for enterprise, education and skills, said: “I know how important this much-needed new school is to the area, so I’m delighted that our work on acquiring the site has come to a successful conclusion.

The Education Funding Authority and the trust can now concentrate all their efforts on the next steps of the programme.”

Philip Waters, chairman of the Harpenden Secondary Education Trust, added: “This is an important step in the still challenging process of getting the school open as soon as possible.

“Our next goal is achieving planning permission so that we can open on the permanent site even though we may be in temporary accommodation in September 2017, though many significant hurdles remain.”

What are your views on this next big step for a new secondary school in Harpenden? Email katrina.turrill@london.newsquest.co.uk.