PLANS for a new multi-million primary school in Bolton have moved a step closer after land was identified as a potential site for the building.

A new primary school is needed to tackle a desperate shortage of places in the borough.

Now fields off Captains Clough Road off Moss Bank Way have been earmarked as a possible site for the new £7 million development.

Vantage Academy Trust, which runs the outstanding SS Simon and Jude Primary in Great Lever, will open the new school, funded by the department for education.

Education bosses say the school will benefit both children and the wider community ­— especially the local sports club

The trust’s CEO Simon Bramwell said:“We have worked hard with the local authority and the department for education over recent times to deliver a new state of the art facility for the pupils of Bolton.

“We only wanted to do that in an area that needed additional places and was not likely to impact negatively on other local schools.

“Should the Captains Clough site prove to be the one selected we would hope to be able to improve the sports facilities for local people and clubs.

“All weather pitches and onsite parking as well as the possibility of changing facilities will mean greater access and use all through the winter, as well as no postponed games and less parking issues during the evenings and at the weekend.

“We really do believe that it will be a win-win for local people.

“In addition the capital investment will provide opportunities for local workers and businesses to benefit during construction and in servicing the school, as well as the school itself employing local people in a wide variety of posts.”

The trust has recently opened a school in Manchester and says it is confident that it has “the team in place to deliver a great new school for the area.”

The Bolton News: How the new Bolton primary school would look

Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Cllr Anne Galloway, said: “With growing pressure on school places, we have been undertaking work to identify appropriate sites to build a new primary school in parts of the borough with highest demand.

“This land is under consideration as a potential site for a new school, but we are only in the very early stages in this process.

“Any development would see £7m of government funding invested in the area with weekend parking and sports facilities made available to the public.

“The school would look to build strong links with the local community and the nearby sports club.

“There are no changes proposed to other schools in the area.

“There is a still a lot of work to do before a final decision can be made and any work would be subject to a public consultation and the full planning process.”

n What do you think about the plans? Write to us at The Wellsprings, Victoria Square, Bolton BL1 1AR or email newsdesk@theboltonnews.co.uk