THE delayed sale of the Filands School site could hold up education projects across the county.

If Wiltshire County Council does not receive money from the sale by April 2005 it may have to reduce the capital programme budget.

The council would have to reduce the budget to find money to pay £4.5 million towards the Public Finance Initiative contribution for Malmesbury Secondary School's new building at Corn Gastons. The building of a £2.5m primary school at Tetbury Hill would also be in limbo until the sale.

The county council is set to receive £6m from the sale of the Filands land for 175 homes. But last month North Wiltshire District Council officers revealed they were likely to recommend refusal of planning permission.

Planning officer Charles Pescod said the development would cause an unacceptable intrusion into the countryside and was contrary to policy guidelines.

The county council is now looking at alternative ways to meet the 2005 PFI deadline.

County councillor John Thomson said: "We may be in the situation where we can't get planning permission or policies take too long. Then it will have to come out of the education budget. Other school projects, which are planned, will have to be delayed.

"That's why it is so important to get it through. To try and protect the capital budget and schools all over the county," he said.