Work on a new primary school for a
Northamptonshire town has stopped following the discovery of great crested
newts.
The first pupils at Corby Primary Academy
in Oakley Vale, Corby, will have to temporarily move to a refurbished former
junior school.
The school will open as scheduled in
September 2013, but with fewer pupils than planned.
The rare amphibians are protected by EU
and UK law.
'Setback' for school
Councillor Andrew Grant, county council
cabinet member for children, learning and skills, said: "There's no
denying that this is a setback but we appreciate the ecological significance of
the situation.
"The presence of the newts means
that we are not permitted to start work on site until spring after the newts
have been relocated."
Corby Primary Academy is being built on
the site of Exeter Primary School.
The council has decided to refurbish the
former school's junior block so the school can open on time.
This means it will only have 60 reception
places and 30 places in years one and two when it opens next September.
If the build had not been halted, the
school would also have had places for Key Stage 2 children.
Wildlife experts are now deciding what
should happen to the newts.
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