PLANS to develop two new schools in York will move a step closer to reality if planning chiefs give the proposals the go-ahead this week.

The new buildings, at Hob Moor School, Acomb and St Barnabas School, Leeman Road, are part of an £11.1 million Private Finance Initiative (PFI) scheme.

The scheme, which also includes St Oswald's Primary School at Fulford, which already has planning permission, uses private money which is paid back over a number of years like a mortgage.

Under the proposals, St Barnabas' School will move to a new site behind St

Barnabas' Church, off Cinder Lane. It will provide 150 places for primary school children and 52 places for early years children as well as a playing field and outside play areas.

The proposal also involves raising the ground level of the new site by 450mm to minimise the risk of flooding from the nearby River Ouse.

The new Hob Moor Primary School will be built on the existing Green Lane site, with 270 places for primary school children and 94 places for special needs pupils.

This will help to integrate special-needs children into the mainstream school environment.

It will also incorporate a 167-place foundation stage nursery and a new Sure Start unit and Family Centre. The application includes plans for outside activity areas with two new football pitches, a multi-use games area and a wildlife area. Damon Copperthwaite, PFI project manager at City of York Council, said: "The two developments at Hob Moor and St Barnabas' will provide much-needed new schools and services in their areas.

"Both facilities will be designed so they can be used by their respective communities outside of school hours and we are particularly excited at the prospect of bringing together so many children's services under one roof at Hob Moor."

The proposals will be discussed at a planning meeting on Thursday. Planning officers have recommended that both be approved.

Updated: 14:22 Monday, June 23, 2003