DELAYS have pushed the cost of replacing Pikes Lane Primary School in Bolton way over budget. Moving the children to the new school will cost an extra £700,000, borough councillors have been told. Now the education committee has to find the money by reducing repairs at other schools, selling buildings or bringing in more money.

Accountants say some of the increased costs at Pikes Lane stem from delays over the acquisition of Gibraltar Mill.

But ground conditions are also worse than expected and both factors have pushed up the original estimate of £1,745,000 to over £2.4 million.

Councillors were told that their accountants will be able to make up some of the shortfall from other sources but they will have to find an extra £376,000 from the buildings budget in future years.

On top of this, education chiefs need to find £99,000 to fund urgent work to improve premises for visually impaired pupils at Sharples and Westhoughton Schools.

Accountants will prepare a report on how the extra £475,000 can be found from already overstretched budgets.

It will mean cutting back elsewhere or raising extra money.

Education chairman Cllr Don Eastwood said of Pikes Lane: "Inflation has increased the cost since our first budget three or four years ago and until you get on site, you never know what the ground conditions will be."

Associated Plastics lost their battle to stay in Gibraltar Mill, which is on the site planned for the school, following a public inquiry.

The company is now desperately seeking alternative premises.

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