A NEW special school will be ready in time for the next academic year after Swindon Council was allowed to bypass Government regulations.

A standing order that requires competitive tenders to be sought for large building projects has been waived.

Instead, in order to open the Chalet School at its new site next to Liden Primary School earlier than previously scheduled, the contract for the first phase of the work has been given directly to the council's own contractors, Swindon Services.

That will allow the project to be started next month with some demolition work, asbestos removal and preliminary alterations at the Liden site.

While that is happening, a full tender process will be carried out as normal for the second stage of the work, which includes the lion's share of the building work needed.

Lead member for education, Garry Perkins (Con, Dorcan) said the move should shave four months from the whole project. He said: "I think everyone would support this because there's no doubt the school needs new premises sooner rather than later. We want to see it on the new site for the start of the new school year."

Work on the relocation plan for the school, which caters for children with severe learning difficulties, had already been delayed over a funding mix-up revealed in the Advertiser last month.

A misunderstanding between Swindon Council officers and the Government hampered the plans.

The council thought it was being loaned £1.5 million from the Department for Education and Skills for the scheme, but the DfES believed it was only providing a loan of £746,000.

The Government eventually stumped up another £750,000, but the delays cost the council £276,000 from its capital building budget and put the whole scheme back many months.

Pete Brown (Lab, Dorcan) had worked with officers to try to bring forward the proposals that have allowed work to start.

He said: "I was deeply concerned that works on the relocation would be delayed even further.

"I would like to thank the officers for their work over the last few weeks to bring this report forward.

"The school will provide higher quality accommodation and will be a far better environment for both the children and the hard-working teachers."

The decision means that more than 40 pupils should move from the cramped and outdated Chalet premises in Queens Drive by next September.

It is part of a £3.6 million plan, in which Liden Junior and Infants have merged in one revamped building on the Liden Drive site. The Chalet School will be housed on the former junior school site.