The earliest Braintree's Chapel Hill School may reopen has been pushed back up to three years.
Essex County Council renewed its pledge in May to reopen the primary school within three years of its official closure of December 31 2002, but now says 2007/08 would be the earliest time.
Nigel Hunt, of the county education department, said this was because of a recent decline in birth rates in Braintree, which will result in a reduction in the number of children coming in to primary schools.
Current forecasts indicate extra school places will not be needed until 2007/08 at the earliest.
The school closed two years ago after a damning Ofsted report marked it as a failing school and it was placed in special measures.
Mr Hunt and county councillor Roger Walters (Con, Braintree West) last night told Braintree Council's scrutiny committee that the county council was committed to keeping the site available to reopen in future.
Published Wednesday November 26, 2003
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