The purpose-built building, which has been in the planning for 20 years, was needed because the school's existing hall is too small.

New facilities include a main sports hall – the size of an international sized basketball court – which will be used for a variety of sports including badminton, netball, five-a-side football and cricket.

There is also a multi-use gym, equipped with fitness equipment, which will also be used as a classroom for dance, drama and PE lessons, plus modern changing rooms and facilities for the disabled.

Invited guests, including High Peak Mayor Robin Baldry, gathered last Thursday for the official opening and blessing of the sports hall by the Catholic Bishop of Nottingham's representative, Father John Guest.

Speaking after the ceremony, headteacher Kate Lamb said she thought it was a day which would never arrive.

"The sports hall will be of unbelievable benefit to the school because we have been operating without any real PE facilities, so when Buxton weather is as it usually is, raining, PE is something that didn't happen," she explained.

"Now, the children are going to have an all-weather facility which is really going to help them, and will release parts of the main school that the children will be able to use for other purposes."

The sports hall had been thrown into doubt, weeks before work had been due to start back in May 2007, when the project was shelved due to funding problems.

Proceeds from the sale of land on Brown Edge Road had been earmarked by Derbyshire County Council to fund the construction. But this was blocked by a town and village green application.

Following extensive negotiations, the county council agreed in November last year to loan the funding to build the hall, with the Nottingham Roman Catholic Diocese agreeing to underwrite the £1.4 million cost over a six-year period. The school also agreed to underwrite any loss of interest that might occur.

However, if the village green application is unsuccessful, the county council will revert to its original plan to use the money from the land sale.

Building work finally commenced on the 1,200 square metre centre in January.

Mrs Lamb said: "This has been in the pipeline for 20 years, and sometimes it has got quite close, almost to be able to touch it, but it has always been taken away by different things. But now, standing here, it is very hard to believe that someone is not going to come and whisk it away from us."

She added: "We have already had a lot of interest from different community groups who would like some time here in the evenings and at weekends, and we are in the process of trying to make sure all of the people who have asked for time get some time here."

• Providing an update on the town and village green application, a spokesperson for Derbyshire County Council said: "We are awaiting some final documentation to be sent to us, and we are hoping shortly to send the application to HM Planning Inspectorate.

"They will then decide if they can rule on the application based on the information we have sent to them, or if the application needs to go to a non-statutory public inquiry."