A council is to take legal action to stop a supermarket building on a site it has earmarked for a school.

Kirklees Council hopes to issue a compulsory purchase order to force Tesco to release land it owns in Cleckheaton.

If successful it would enable the Council to build a replacement for ailing Whitcliffe Road First and Nursery School on the St Peg Lane site.

An outline planning application for a new school at the site has been submitted by the Council and the CPO will formally begin once permission has been granted.

The process, though, could take months if Tesco object.

Plans for the new school had been delayed because Tesco owns a vital piece of land the school could be built on.

But the supermarket giant hopes to build a store there. Rival chain Asda should learn shortly if it can build in the town centre.

If Asda gets approval, strict planning laws would prevent a further supermarket being built in Cleckheaton and Tesco would be forced to withdraw.

Developer Younger Homes then has first refusal on the land having sold it to Tesco in the first place.

Emergency talks were held in July between governors and Kirklees Council leader Kath Pinnock. They were promised a "roadmap" would be in place in time for a follow-up meeting scheduled for next week.

Governors' chairman Sue Tommis said she was glad things had finally got moving. "It's a step in the right direction," she said.

"But the CPO could take 18 months as Tesco is still trying to stall."

Spen Valley MP Mike Wood said compulsory purchase of the land was inevitable and the step should have been taken earlier.

"Finally, having wasted so much time, effort and money, Kirklees now seems to be putting the pupils of Whitcliffe Road school first.

"While I welcome this long overdue shift towards prioritising the needs of present and future Cleckheaton pupils, it is now vital that they put all their energy into making sure that the CPO process is a success," he added.

Councillors are expected to agree to make the order on Wednesday, although negotiations will still continue.

Tesco declined to comment.