Almost £2 million is to be spent by Hampshire County Council on insulation and safety work at two Alton schools.

Work costing £1.4m will be carried out at The Butts Primary School. At Wootey Infant School the bill will be £550,000.

The projects, approved on January 29, will include replacing roofs, windows, doors and cladding panels, and removing any asbestos.

Wootey Infant School headteacher Ella Palmer said: “We are delighted to be receiving a new roof at last. We have experienced many roof leaks for a long time.”

Cllr Malcolm Wallace said: “These projects look like a no-brainer. It’s exciting to see improvements being made to our schools, not only thermal efficiency but also the potential addition of more solar panels, so it’s great to see.”

Cllr Kirsty North, the executive member for universal services, added: “The improvements will benefit not only current students but future generations as well.”

Hampshire County Council said the roof replacements were necessary because the roofs were at the end of their life, but any solar panels would be removed and reinstalled as they had a remaining lifespan of more than 15 years.

The new roofs will feature either high-performance felt or a metal panel system with additional insulation to prevent the 1970s-built schools getting too cold in winter and too hot in summer.

There will also be new or improved ventilation, particularly in warmer places such as the school halls and the kitchens where school meals are prepared. Work should start this summer.

The works in Alton are part of an £11m Hampshire County Council programme which will also include Warblington School (£3m), Hamble School (£3m), Bursledon Junior School (£550,000), Fleet Infant School (£750,000), Gomer Infant School (£550,000), Kings School, Winchester (£750,000) and Kingsclere Primary School (£550,000).