A £1 MILLION project to build a new village school in Cradley has been announced by its governors.

Three sites, including one near the current home of Cradley C of E Primary School, are being investigated for the project and villagers have been invited to comment.

Chairman of governors, Pamela Hurle, said: "The building that the school's in now is totally inadequate. There are two classrooms in the Victorian building, and three more in temporary buildings that have been there thirty years."

George Salmon, of Herefordshire Council's education department, said the decision over the site will not be straightforward.

"It's not easy, partly because it's an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and there are problems with the roads. But we have found three possible sites," he said.

"One is in the centre of the village, about 150 yards from the present school. Another is at the western end of the village and the third at the eastern end.

"Part of the problem is that Cradley has two parts, separated by a valley, so if you put it in one part, it would mean children from the other part having to walk further.

"And the proposed site in the centre of Cradley has a steep embankment which will cause difficulties," added Mr Salmon.

He said that if the project gets the go-ahead, 85 per cent of funding will come from the Department of Education, and the school governors will have to come up with the remaining 15 per cent.

Part of that will come from the proceeds of selling the existing site.

Mr Salmon said it was too early to give detailed costings, but it was likely to be around the £1 million mark.

Mrs Hurle said: "We would approach various bodies such as charities, and we would also hope that the diocese would help, as it is a church school."

Anyone wanting to comment should send their views to the chairman of the governors, via the school.

These will be sent to Herefordshire's School Operations Committee, which will discuss the proposals at its meeting in late June.