Replacement school cash granted

Surveys will be carried out to find the best location for the scheme

More than £28m has been awarded to North Somerset council to rebuild Nailsea School.

Plans were submitted last September for redevelopment under the government's One School Pathfinder Scheme.

The new school is to be built on the playing fields and survey work will start soon to find the best position.

It is the single largest building project ever undertaken by the council and should be ready to admit pupils by September 2009.

The geotechnical survey will involve drilling boreholes and digging trenches at the site.

Councillor Jeremy Blatchford said: "In this case the work is particularly important because Nailsea used to be a mining area.

"We have a lot of historical data on the site earmarked for the new school which does not show anything up, but we need to carry out a thorough examination of the ground to ensure it provides a suitable location for the new building."