A funding package of almost £100million will be used to build a school and a long-awaited link road.

North Somerset Council’s executive agreed to accept £97million in government funding through the housing infrastructure fund to build Banwell bypass and a school at Parklands Village.

The road will support the development of future housing sites to help meet the demand for homes over the next 15 years, while the cash will also pay for a 900-place secondary school.

The executive signed off the final grant determination agreement on July 29, which will be implemented by the council, working with Homes England, later this month.

Speaking at the meeting, ward councillor Karin Haverson said: “Banwell is in such a desperate situation, it’s the largest infrastructure project that will happen in my ward in my time, it will have a big impact on carbon footprint yet there is no mention of the climate emergency declaration.

“I think this ought to be taken into account and we need to connect this project to the declaration.”

Cllr Patrick Keating added: “There is a worry in Churchill that solving the problem in Banwell will simply move the bottleneck elsewhere.”

Cllr Mark Canniford said he was ‘delighted’ the council would address the potential bottlenecks in Sandford and Churchill and make the road suitable to cyclists.

Banwell bypass is set to be completed by 2024.

The secondary school site is on land at the southern end of the Parklands Village North South Link Road, within the Locking Parklands area.

Both projects will involve public consultation, which is planned for next year once early designs have been completed, and will be subject to planning permission.

The government’s housing infrastructure fund, administered by Homes England, is helping to deliver up to 300,000 homes across England by providing local authorities with grant funding for new infrastructure.

Cllr James Tonkin, the executive member for planning and transport, said: “This helps deliver much-needed homes to the community and provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the village of Banwell, giving the village back to the community.”