A NEW CofE primary school could be built to replace the current building on Tetbury Hill by 2005 in a timetable recommended in a report to Wiltshire County Council.

The current school building was built 20 years ago and had new mobile classrooms installed last year to cope with class numbers.

Consultation held last month by the county council involving the school, school governors, district and town councils and the public, revealed support for a new school, but opposition to plans for it to be built at Filands.

The new plan, unveiled earlier this month for a £2.5million single-storey, 14-classroom school to replace the current building, was endorsed at a public meeting two weeks ago.

As part of the project the county council must raise a £4.5million contribution to the public finance initiative for the new secondary school at Corn Gastons by April 2005 as well as the £2.5million needed for the new school.

The county council plans to sell six acres of brownfield land at Filands for between 110 and 140 houses, up to 45 per cent of which would be affordable homes, for £6million. The rest of the 11.5 acre site will be used for public open space and a play park.

The remaining £1million would come from the sale of a one-acre plot of land in front of the new school, to be used for 16 to 25 houses.

Any spare money would go to the education budget with a deficit funded by the county council.

Extra housing could be the bitter pill that the town would have to swallow if a new primary school is to be completed by 2005.

Mr Lander said there was acknowledgement in the community that development at Filands was acceptable but said: "It is assumed that if receipts are not forthcoming from the Filands site, a new primary school will not be provided."

Mr Lander's report will presented to cabinet at county council on Monday with further public consultation in the next three months.

Headteacher Jeff Staton said: "A new school would be truly inspirational for the children of Malmesbury and their teachers. A new school would inspire our teachers. Inspired teachers equal inspired pupils; it is a simple equation."