THE field of St Joseph’s Catholic College is set to be chosen as the preferred site to help meet growing demand for primary school places in the town centre.

Swindon Council needs to provide an extra 30 reception places a year by 2014 and the same again by 2016 due to a rise in births.

Two sites, which were whittled down from a possible five, went out to a statutory public consultation earlier this year. The choices were either a new school on land once used as a council depot off County Road, or an expansion of St Joseph’s Catholic College onto an unused section of the school field.

And on Wednesday, December 12 Coun David Renard, cabinet member for children’s services, will recommend to the council Cabinet that St Joseph’s is named the preferred location for two forms of entry from September 2014.

Swindon Council says the 61 consultation responses did not indicate clear support or opposition for either proposal. The St Joseph’s site has been recommended to go forward due to proximity to demand, access, public acceptance and cost. It is estimated the St Joseph’s plan will cost £3.5m, compared to £5m for the County Road site.

Coun Renard said: “The consultation didn’t really show any clear preference for either but equally there was no particular objection to either one.

“But the St Joseph’s one will be easier to deliver, the highways issues will be easier to overcome and also there’s already an academy sponsor in the form of St Joseph’s Catholic College, ready and able to run the school.

“So it’s just a whole lot easier and better value for money. The council will be funding most of it but it’s a low total cost compared with the County Ground site, mainly because of the highways issues. We would have to invest a lot more money around highways to deliver the County Ground site.”

If Cabinet approves the site, the next steps in this proposal would be for St Joseph’s Catholic College, which is already an academy, to apply for statutory consent from the Department of Education for the expansion.

Coun Stan Pajak (Lib Dem, Eastcott) said: “Without doubt I do support that location because I feel that’s the choice of most residents and the people in the main will be coming from a Catholic background.

“It will be a saving for the council and also the option that allows children to have use of the great facilities at St Joseph’s as well. So all around it does seem to be the best choice.”