COUNCIL chiefs are finally set to acquire land in Pilning for a new primary school.

The council has identified a three and a half acre site in Bank Road for the village's new St Peter's Primary School, formed from the merger of Redwick and Northwick and Pilning schools.

But the landowner's continued reluctance to sell may still force them to invoke compulsory purchase powers to secure the site, lengthening the wait for the new school which was initially set to be up and running in September 2008.

Delays have caused concern for parents and the estimated cost of the Church of England voluntary controlled school has rocketed from £3.8million to more than £5.1million - even without any upgrading of existing roads, footpaths or external lighting outside the site.

At their meeting on Monday, January 7, South Gloucestershire Council cabinet members will be asked to allocate extra funds totalling more £1.3 million and progress plans for the new buildings, including submitting a planning application for the green belt site.

If a straightforward deal can be negotiated, its earliest opening date will be autumn 2010. But compulsory purchase could lengthen the delay by a further year to autumn 2011.

St Peter's is currently operating in deteriorating buildings on two sites several miles apart.

In a report to cabinet, director of children and young people Therese Gillespie states: "It is important to emphasise at this stage that in view of the necessary length of time it has taken to fully investigate all the options for potential sites in the Pilning area, there is significant strength of feeling in the local community to secure the most appropriate site and progress the development of the school at the earliest possible time."

A total of eight potential sites in Bank Road were originally investigated and rejected as unsuitable for various reasons. Two further sites were then identified.

The merger of Piling and Redwick and Northwick Schools - made necessary by falling pupil numbers - got the go ahead in summer 2006 after consultation revealed overwhelming community support for the move.

The new school will cater for 210 pupils aged four to 11 and will have an annual intake of 30.

The council's executive member for children and young people, Cllr Sheila Cook, said: "We understand the concerns about the delays but this has not been an easy matter and there was nothing we could do.

"A suitable site for the school has now been identified. We would like to avoid compulsory purchase if at all possible and we are proceeding with negotiations with the landowner.

"The sooner we have a new school up and running in Pilning the happier I will be."