A SECONDARY school in Potters Bar has been given the go-ahead for a new sports pavilion to replace one destroyed in a suspected arson last year.

Dame Alice Owen School in Dugdale Hill Lane has been granted planning permission by Hertsmere Borough Council to build a new pavilion by the side of the school's playing fields.

The 30ft by 15ft structure will house changing rooms, a viewing gallery and a cafe area and is expected to cost around £200,000.

The school's director of sport, Ian Breeze, said: "The original timber cricket pavilion was burned down in February 2009 so ever since then, we have been trying to replace it. Hertsmere has finally given us their planning permission to replace it with a brick-built structure.

"We are starting work on it in May and it should be finished around early September, so unfortunately we are missing the cricket season but it will be in time for the other sports to use it.

"It will be a community facility because Potters Bar Cricket Club uses it for their third and fourth teams as well. We are looking forward to opening it up."

The old pavilion was burned down in a suspected arson attack at 4am on February 3, 2009. The blaze was spotted by a motorist on the nearby M25 and the fire brigade attended, but were unable to save the structure or any of the equipment inside.

Mr Breeze said: "We lost a lot of cricket equipment which we were insured against, but obviously there has been inconvenience to the learning of the children because we have not got that facility to use.

"At the moment they have to get changed in school and trek quite a long way to the playing field.

"We will have been without it for approximately 18 months so it will be a real luxury to get it after all this time."

Furzefield councillor Peter Knell said: "Of course it is going to be very good for the school. It will help the community because once something burns down, whoever was using it has nowhere to go. Now they will have a new building for people to use, and I hope it will be looked after."

The pavilion will be built by north London construction company Cosmur and is expected to open in time for the new school year in September.