EDUCATION bosses are set to push ahead with plans to create a new £2.5million primary school in Blackburn.

Two CE primary schools will be closed in the Ewood area and be replaced by the new school on Fernhurst estate.

The estate's creation has caused a shortage of primary school places in the district.

A first round of consultation has now been completed and education bosses and Blackburn Diocese officials have agreed to push ahead with the new school plan. More detailed plans are to be put forward.

It is expected that the new school, which will take 400 pupils, will be ready for September 2003, with St Andrew's and St Bartholomew's schools closing in July 2003.

Other options for sorting out the school place shortage included simply extending the two schools, or closing one and building a new one.

But the only way the money for extra school places from the Department for Education was to open a new school.

The new school will also provide pupils in the area with their own sports facilities for the first time.

St Andrew's school pitch is so poor it was only usable for two weeks last year, while St Bartholomew's rely on facilities at Blackburn Rovers.

A report to Blackburn with Darwen's executive board said: "St Andrew's is unlikely to be viable in the long term as parents choose to send their children elsewhere. Less than 10 applications were received for 30 reception class places for 2002."

The two outdated schools would be knocked down and the land, owned by Blackburn Diocese, would probably be put up for sale.

The report said both sets of parents and governors were reluctant to see their schools go but could see the logic of the proposal.

Issues which still concern parents include the close proximity of electricity pylons to the proposed school and how many entrances there will be.

St Bartholomew's parent Paula Denton, of Arkwright Fold, Blackburn, said: "We don't want their education disturbing or for our children to face the upheaval of moving.

"Parents should have the choice which school they want their children to go to."

No-one wished to comment at St Andrew's school. Governor Alan Wood said he and his colleagues did not want to say anything until the consultation period had ended.

No-one at St Bartholomew's wanted to comment.