A builder has been appointed to oversee construction of the first school on the Alconbury Weald development.

Cambridgeshire County Council has selected Morgan Sindall to build the new £8.9 million Ermine Street Church Academy.

It will be the first school in the new Alconbury Weald development, being led by Urban and Civic, on the former airfield near Huntingdon.

The academy will form part of the first stages of the development, with 5,000 new homes also planned.

The academy will be run by the Diocese of Ely Multi-Academy Trust, and the first phase of the single-storey school is due to open in September 2016.

It will eventually accommodate 630 pupils following the second phase of its construction.

Andrew Read, chief executive of the Diocese of Ely Multi Academy Trust, said: “The school will take a central place in the locality, and we look forward to working with Morgan Sindall in securing the best possible educational outcomes for future generations, and nurturing the developing community spirit of Alconbury Weald.”

A double-height vaulted roof assembly hall will form the central core area of the building. The school will house 17 classrooms initially, with an additional six in phase two, along with a learning resource centre.

The assembly hall will also be available for the local community to use during out-of-school hours.

The new building will be partially powered by solar panels and Morgan Sindall says it hopes to the building will achieve a top energy efficiency rating.