There’s no denying that plans to plough much-needed investment into Hexham’s Queen Elizabeth High School are long overdue.

Members of the local community, and the school itself, have long campaigned for positive change to ensure future generations of children can receive a good education in quality surroundings.

Indeed, staff have often been applauded for managing to deliver teaching which ensures the high school achieves some of the best results in the North-East, in ageing buildings.

Despite this, there will still be disappointment throughout the town that the multi-million pound plans cannot be engineered to retain the existing Victorian walled garden.

Nestled behind the Hydro building, the garden is a sight to behold all year round, with volunteers and students working hard to maintain it for use by the school and the wider community.

It is right that Northumberland County Council recognise the garden’s significance and, in their formal response to the Courant, outline that the space will be “reimagined” at the heart of the new school buildings.

The development must be carried out sympathetically to ensure the rich history of the site is respected.