A NEW primary school in north Colchester could be run by the Church of England.

The Chelmsford Diocese has revealed it is among a number of organisations bidding to Essex County Council to run Severalls Primary School.

The final decision will rest with the Department for Education, upon the council’s recommendation.

If the diocese’s bid is successful, it would be the first Anglican church school to open in the borough since the Victorian era.

The £5million school, on five acres of land off the Northern Approach Road, next to the former Severalls Hospital, is being built to provide education for the growing number of youngsters in north Essex.

A total of 1,500 homes are being built on the old hospital site and the school will be financed by contributions from developers.

Work on the two-storey, 420- place school is likely to start next spring. The first pupils could start in September 2016.

See Friday's Gazette for the full story