New school set to stay on site?

A NEW £27 million school for Nailsea is 'likely' to be built on its current site, council chiefs have revealed.North Somerset Council education chiefs said this week the new school - funded by a Government windfall - is likely to be built on the existing Nailsea School site.Land at Golden Valley playing fields had also been put forward, but council chiefs have now revealed that the current school site at Mizzymead Road is the preferred option.Details of the chosen site, along with outline plans for the new school, have to be submitted to the Department for Education and Skills by the end of November to ensure the authority qualifies for the cash.The council also has to ensure the school is up and running by September 2009.North Somerset Council spokesman Zoe Briffitt said: "It is likely the new school will be built on the existing Nailsea School site. This is the preferred option."We are currently carrying out a geo-technical survey of the Nailsea School site to ensure everything is ok with the land for building on."The council's submission for the new school has to be sent to the DFES by the end of November and this will outline what we intend to do regarding the school and will also clarify which site will be used."The news will be welcomed by people living in the Golden Valley area who had raised concerns about the school being built on the site.Nailsea councillor Bob Steadman said: "The plans for a new Nailsea School are very exciting and provide lots of opportunities for the town."The current school site has to be the ideal place to build a new school and is the best outcome. It would have been foolish to build on the Golden Valley site and this would only have been considered if there was no other viable option."Cllr Steadman said he hoped community facilities, such as a day centre for the elderly, could be included in any development of a new school.