WORK is set to start next month on a new multi-million pound educational learning campus in Kidderminster.

The Habberley Learning Campus has been designed to create a shared learning environment for three Kidderminster schools - the Wyre Forest Special School, Baxter College and St. John's CE Primary School - and is one of the first of its kind in the UK.

The £24. 5 million project, designed by Worcestershire County Council architects, includes a new special school for 220 pupils, a 13 laboratory science block, a shared early years hub, residential accommodation for 16 pupils and improvements to St John’s.

Conservative John Campion, the county council’s cabinet member with responsibility for transformation and commissioning, said: "We are delighted that this outstanding project is about to start on site. In addition to the benefits for the local community, this is a very significant project for the UK because of the exceptionally low energy requirements of the new buildings.

"The Architects have designed the buildings to minimise the heating and cooling demand and to provide excellent indoor air quality. It’s a very impressive project and we're proud to be able to provide this for our communities"

The campus will be for children aged between two and 19 and there will also be a weekly boarding unit for up to 16 students at the Wyre Forest School to stay overnight during the week.

A science block, a floodlit artificial grass pitch and associated car parking and landscape works will also be at the site.

Conservative Liz Eyre, the authority’s cabinet member with responsibility for children and families, added: "This is great news for pupils and families and means that Worcestershire will have its first fully integrated education facility that brings mainstream and special school pupils together to use the same facilities.”

The learning campus will be built in stages, with work starting in July on the Wyre Forest School, the science block and the boarding house, followed by the all-weather sports pitch and the early years hub.

The whole campus is expected to be finished by Easter 2015.