TADPOLE Farm has been named as the preferred site for a new North Swindon primary school.

The site was chosen at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday because Swindon Council needs to create 90 extra reception places in North Swindon from September 2014.

As part of the development, however, a road costing £3m will need to be built so families can access the school.

David Renard, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “It was a very difficult decision because there was no obvious choice of site for the school.

“I am pleased that we have made a decision and I am confident we have made the right decision. It is the best of the options available but it presents us with some problems in a few years’ time if we are unable to secure an agreement with the developers to either expand the new school or find a new site.

“People moving into the site will have an expectation that there is a community primary school available for their children to move in to.”

Under the legal agreement, developer Crest Nicholson must open a two-form-of-entry primary school on the site by the time the 564th house is occupied – but this plan will mean there will be an extra two forms of entry at the site, which will be available much sooner.

The latest decision means Swindon Council will have to pay £3m for an access road on top of the cost of the new primary school. The developer has committed to paying the council back, subject to an agreed amount of houses being sold.

Coun Renard said: “We have got to find £3m to cover the road. From a financial point of view it is disappointing we had to choose that site.”

A planning application will be submitted soon.

Orchid Vale Primary School is to be expanded to provide 30 extra spaces from September 2014 to help meet the demand for school places.

The council initially proposed to provide the remaining 60 places by building a new school on a site within the boundary of Mouldon Hill Country Park, with the use of the country park car park as an access point.

But after opposition and the recommendations of alternative sites in a consultation, Tadpole Farm became the front-runner subject to agreement of the landowner, Crest Nicholson, which has permission for an estate of nearly 1,700 homes.

Swindon Labour leader Jim Grant, said: “Now the Conservative administration needs to ensure that this school is ready to open for September 2014 and I think the government should be playing its part by providing funding.”