PLANS for a new £6.7million primary school in Christchurch are progressing, with negotiations over a possible site taking place.

A campaign was started last year by parents keen to get their children into Christchurch Infants School, after they lost out on a space, despite being within the all-important catchment area.

Due to rising numbers of youngsters in the area, Dorset County Council, after discussions with the school and parents, installed a temporary classroom at the school in September last year.

It will be in place until September 2015, when a new school will hopefully be built in the borough to accommodate youngsters.

A report, due to go to Dorset County Council's cabinet today, said the multi-million pound plans have been held up due to delays with Christchurch council's core strategy.

The report says: “Due to the extremely tight timescale and lack of early access to the site and its acquisition, this project is proceeding with a number of significant risks.”

However, the cabinet have been asked to approve the investment in the project.

A spokesperson for the county council said: “We are currently in negotiations with a land owner with a view to acquiring an area of land to build a new primary school in Christchurch.

“These negotiations are still at an early stage, so I'm afraid it would not be appropriate to release details of this site at the moment.”

Members of the campaign group, Christchurch Schools Action Group, said previously they wanted to see a school built in the west of the borough as currently there is only one primary school for the whole area.