HER Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall will be paying a visit to pupils at Marlborough St Mary’s School next week when she officially opens the new building.

The school’s 380 pupils have had lessons at the new site since it opened in September.

During the royal visit, the town’s mayor Mervyn Hall and the Police and Crime Commissioner Angus Macpherson will also be given a tour.

The Duchess of Cornwall will visit the school on Tuesday and meet the headteacher Anne Schwodler before enjoying performances from the children.

Mrs Schwodler said: “She will get to see our new sensory room for children with complex needs and she will talk to some of the children from our radio club who will be on the tour with the press group. The children were only told on Friday but they are all very excited.”

Ahead of the visit, emergency roadworks have been carried out along George Lane, causing rumours to surface that the royal visit has accelerated plans to improve the busy street.

However, Wiltshire Council said work in the area was due to an emergency and was not linked to Tuesday’s planned tour.

A spokesman for Wiltshire Council said: “There are no listed works being done on George Lane this week, any works will be emergency. This could be utility work which the council do not have warning of because they have to carry out the work as soon as possible.”

George Lane has numerous potholes and has been highlighted as a danger area for children walking to both St Mary’s and St John’s schools.

Planned resurfacing work is due to commence in April, with plans in place to put safety signs up after a meeting in which Marlborough Town council and St Mary’s School travel group expressed serious safety concerns for the area.

Garald Issamaan, who lives in George Lane, said: “I have been campaigning for15 months over the shocking pothole condition of George Lane, especially as far as the safety of the pupils attending the new St Mary’s School in the current winter climate.

“At last something is happening. They have started putting down cones in George Lane to repair the drain covers, no doubt a preliminary move to resurfacing the road now packed with potholes. Pavements covered with grit cause serious safety concerns to young and old in the winter, especially some of the pupils of St Mary’s School, who cross the road outside Marlborough Police Station without a policeman in sight.”