AFTER battles with conservationists and having to revise their designs, the £5m girls' boarding house at Marlborough College was finally approved.

Last Friday, planning permission to build a sixteenth boarding house at the historic school, which will be built in College Fields on the north side of the A4, was granted by Wiltshire Council.

After taking on the concerns from the community over the last year about Dancy House's design and the way it initially had a negative impact on the conservation area's character, their amended plans have now been approved.

Master, Mr Jonathan Leigh: "We are thrilled that planning permission has been granted for Dancy House with a project which will bring distinction to the area following useful consultations from the town."

The three-story boarding house will provide accommodation for 70 girls, bringing the total number of pupils at Kate Middleton and Samantha Cameron’s former school to around 990, and will create around 25 new jobs in the town.

Chairman of the town council's planning committee, Coun Mervyn Hall, said: "Although people had concerns about where it was being built, most of the complaints were directed at their original designs but they have gone away and done an exceptional job.

"When it came to us the second time around we were very impressed with how it will fit in with the nearby iconic buildings. They did a lengthy public consultation and have taken on the community's concerns. This will create a fair few jobs in the town which is always good news."

Although local environmental campaigners were disappointed that eight trees on the site had to be removed, a total of 27 will be retained and protected on the site.

Mayor Noel Barrett-Morton said: "This was an excellent design and it is no wonder that it has been approved. The Town Council, as consultees, were unanimous in their favour.”

The development will also have accommodation for three supervisor staff, parking and landscaping, and will sit parallel with four other boarding houses belonging to the college.

The new house will carry the name Dancy House to commemorate former Master, John Dancy, and his wife, Angela, who introduced girls to the College for the first time nearly 50 years ago.