A NEW primary school will be built on a greenfield site on the outskirts of a town.

The new campus, above Daisy Hill and Silsden Park, will bring together Silsden’s existing Hothfield Junior School and Aire View Infants School.

The new complex, due to be open by 2018, will solve existing overcrowding problems and help meet future demand from families moving into the 1,200 new homes planned for Silsden over the next few years.

Silsden councillor Adrian Naylor today revealed the location of the school site following the council’s recent purchase of land bordering Banklands Lane and Hawber Cote Lane, off Bolton Road.

The newly-bought land will form half the school site, with the other half taking up an existing site owned by Bradford Council since it put forward plans for a middle school several decades ago.

This council land lies off Middleway and Aireville Mount, above a belt of land accessed off Daisy Hill and earmarked for housing. Cllr Naylor, who is both a Bradford and Silsden councillor, said parents of children at Aire View and Hothfield were due to be sent letters either tonight or tomorrow.

He said: “The letter says the council has completed the acquisition of land and is now moving along to start the process with the two schools merging in September 2017.”

“At the end of the week the council will appoint a design team to start work on the new facility.

“I’ve offered to host a public meeting when the designers have some thoughts to share, so that local people know what designs are being considered before they reach the planning stage.”

News of the new school’s location was revealed following behind-closed-door discussions yesterday by Bradford Council’s ruling Executive. Executive members approved the proposed merger of the existing schools, planned for September next year and previously the subject of public consultation.

They also allocated funding for the new Silsden school complex from the council’s Basic Needs education fund. The cost of the school remains confidential.

The choice of school site comes after many months of research involving Bradford Council officers and ward councillors to assess several potential sites in the Silsden area.