Kent County Council has let a contract for enabling works, including demolition, at the former Wildernesse School site in Sevenoaks.

Part of the site, in Seal Hollow Road, will be used for the Trinity School, a state-funded Christian secondary school established under the government’s free school initiative.

Trinity opened in September last year and will be relocating from its present home in London Road, Riverhead.

Some of the site is also earmarked for a new grammar school annexe - which residents say is long overdue in the town.

The Wildernesse Sports Centre will continue to be available for community use in the evenings and at weekends while the work is carried out.

Matthew Tate, headmaster of Trinity School, said: “This is excellent news. Our pupils are very excited about the prospect of moving to Wildernesse next September.”

Roger Gough, KCC’s Cabinet member for Education, said: “We are delighted with progress being made on this site and we look forward to work starting there in the near future.”

Willmott Dixon, which recently completed the upgrade of facilities at nearby Knole Academy, has been awarded this contract to carry out this initial work. The contract to build the new school is expected to be signed later this year.