A NEW community primary school for about 350 pupils in Burnley should be in place by August next year.

Todmorden Road and Burnley Wood schools will be amalgamated, with the new school in extended premises on the Burnley Wood site.

A two month period for objections has now expired, with none received.

Members of the Lancashire County Council executive committee for education and young people will be told tomorrow that the proposals are an integral part of the major review of primary education in Burnley and will remove a considerable number of surplus places in the area. The review was carried out because it was estimated that by 2003 there could be 1,700 unfilled places in primary schools in the town.

Approval was given in August to initially fund the estimated capital cost of £850,000 from the New Deal for Schools Condition Fund, subject to additional funding being sought as part of the Targeted Capital Fund bid.

Councillors will be told that if the bid is successful the New deal for Schools capital can be reallocated to support projects at other schools in the country. Councillors will be asked to give their approval.

In January, following a public consultation exercise, the education authority also decided to support the discontinuation of Hargher Clough Junior, Coal Clough Primary, Myrtle Bank Nursery and Infant schools and to establish a new community primary school.

It was also agreed to close Rosehill nursery, infants and junior schools and Healey Wood infant school and to replace them with a new community primary school with a nursery class and to bid for £4.5 million funding.