PLANS for a new two-form town primary school have been put forward by the county council.

The building will eventually replace Benge-worth First School in Evesham and will be sited next to a new housing estate, set to be decided by planners shortly.

If passed, the first part of the new school will open its doors by the end of March 2011.

The site is on land near King’s Road, at the northern edge of the town by the banks of the river Avon.

The school is being moved a quarter mile from its current home out of the river Avon’s flood plain with the help of a £5.5 million Government grant, after the school was hit by flooding in 2007.

David Braham, Benge-worth’s headteacher, said it was “the best thing that has happened to Benge-worth” in many years with the new school providing new sports and community space for pupils and residents.

The headteacher of 17 years said: “It’s an exciting prospect. It’s been designed very much with Bengeworth in mind.

“When we met the architects we wanted to transpose the school’s character as a place of cosiness to the new site, and that has come through.”

Worcestershire County Council is proposing the new school with the environment in mind, with several eco-friendly features such as cedum roofing, biomass heating, and rainwater harvesting.

The 2.5-hectare site is currently used as farmland, but would host school buildings, a car park, dropping-off point, multi-use games areas, playground and junior football pitch.

Plans indicate it would be extensively landscaped with many natural areas, ponds and areas for both flora and fauna. It could also cope with increased pupil levels, as the school could use what will be its old site in Burford Road, which is currently having flood defences built around it.

The plans will now go for public consultation before a decision by planners later this year.

The proposals had been eagerly awaited after councillors debated the need for infrastructure on the separate application for the 500 new houses by Miller Homes on the adjacent site, earlier this month.

Councillor Marcus Hart, the county council’s head of young people aged up to 11, said: “The proposed school is a fantastic new facility which will not only meet the needs of the growing community in the area, but will be a benchmark to other schools for its environmental credentials.”