AN ENVIRONMENTAL charity has won approval for a £5m revamp of its popular education centre.

The Earth Trust, which looks after Wittenham Clumps hill at Little Wittenham, was given planning permission for its major renovation plans last week.

The plans include new replica Iron Age roundhouses, a new natural classroom and an improved working farmyard.

South Oxfordshire District Council also approved a new 'skills and learning building' and an improved carpark at the hillside centre.

Chief executive Jayne Manley said generations of children and adults would benefit as it could now educate all visitors better about the historic region.

She said: "Every visitor – be they a walker or a family sharing a picnic; a child on a school trip or a volunteer helping us look after this special place – they will all benefit from the planned improvements once they are in place.

"The support shown for the trust has been overwhelming and humbling – a reminder that treasured childhood memories of exploring, playing and being outdoors can lead to a long-term love of the environment and the countryside to the extent that people do want to do something to look after it."

The Earth Trust was founded as the Northmoor Trust for Countryside Conservation in 1967 with an endowment from patrons Sir Martin and Lady Audrey Wood.

It acquired Little Wittenham Wood in 1982, followed by Wittenham Clumps and surrounding farmland.

The trust says the clumps now get more visits than any other 'free-to-access green space' in south east England – 150,000 a year.

The centre expansion has been planned in anticipation of growing visitors numbers over coming years.

Ms Manley added: "The proposals have taken three years of extensive consultation with local communities, visitors, key stakeholders, planning officers and statutory consultees; your input was vital in shaping the plans and showing how much these improvements are wanted and needed."

The Earth Trust now needs to raise the funds to do the building work.

It plans to fund the multi-million pound project through grants, but hopes that some construction on the new 'skills and learning building' can begin in the next 12 months.

County councillor for Wallingford Lynda Atkins said: "The Earth Trust plans are the result of probably the most comprehensive and genuinely engaging consultation process I have come across.

"They listened to what was said before incorporating the results into their plans, making some fairly significant changes along the way."

Due to the application procedure for grants, the revamp plan looks at splitting the work into three steps, which could take up to seven years to complete.