SIX months of negotiations and uncertainty came to an end when Wiltshire County Council struck a deal with developers to build new schools in Chippenham, Malmesbury and Wootton Bassett.
A special meeting of the policy and resources committee on Friday, July 7, will vote on a recommendation to accept the deal, just days after parents agonised over the prospect of Abbeyfield School being homeless in September 2001.
Conservative leader Peter Chalke said: We are hugely relieved. It was hard work.
He said they had a two-and-a- half-hour meeting with the White Horse Education Partnership phoning colleagues in Germany as well as the bank.
Finally he reported they agreed to the county council's final bid, which was a bit above what the council had originally expected. Most of the movement was on their side, he said. I think they got a good deal.
He was hopeful Chippenham's new school would be ready to house the Abbeyfield pupils by September 2001.
At least a sufficient part of the school should be properly finished, he said.
Chief Executive Keith Robinson said: This will be great news to parents and children, particularly in Chippenham, who have had to cope with great uncertainty in this matter."
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