Education bosses have revealed they never planned to build a new school at Turner Rise in Colchester.

Essex County Council has come under fire after a delay signing papers meant it was no longer entitled to a free parcel of land on the site worth £1.4 million.

It was thought a junior school was to be built on the plot to cater for new children moving into the 320-home development.

But Alan Barclay, head of planning and pupil services at Essex County Council, said the local authority never intended to build a school there.

"There are surplus places in the area, particularly at High Woods, which means we would not have been in a position to build a school there anyway," he said.

"We are not going to build a new school in an area where there are surplus places."

Brinkley Grove is one of the schools at High Woods where children from Turner Rise will be expected to attend. It recently expanded and now caters for up to 420 pupils.

Mr Barclay added: "Because Turner Rise is not that far away from High Woods, we would not have been in a position to build a school in the foreseeable future, or at least for five or ten years."

He said that if a developer came forward to build more homes at Turner Rise, a legal agreement would be drawn up to ensure land is made available for a possible school.

In the meantime, bus passes will be handed out to Turner Rise children taught at High Woods.

Iris Pummell, chairman of Essex County Council's education committee, was also keen to clarify her department's role in the blunder.

"My officers within the education department are not to blame," she said. "The matter was passed on to legal and property services."

Borough councillor David Goatley (Lib Dem, Mile End) said a school would eventually be needed at Turner Rise due to the sheer number of houses being built.

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