PLACES for more than 200 primary school children might have to be found if a solution to a long running saga to find a permanent home for a free school cannot be found, education chiefs have warned.

The Olive Free School opened at Ashton House, Waterloo Street, off Blackburn Road, in September 2016 — despite councillors complaints that it was ‘wholly unfit to house a primary school’ because of its proximity to the busy main road.

Its current temporary planning approval to remain there expires at the end of this academic year and no alternative accommodation has been as yet found.

The school has 180 place, which will rise to 420 when once full.

A council report stated: "If this matter is not quickly resolved it could give rise to the need to accommodate an additional 240 primary school pupils in September 2018, in an area of the borough that is already short of places."

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Options being looked at include relocating to the Bolton Parish CE School site once it relocated to its new build in Chadwick Street, remaining on the existing temporary site or relocating to the Jubilee Centre site, when the centre serving disabled centre relocates.

A council spokesman said that if it was relocated to the Kestor Street site of the old school, a new building would be developed.