TORFAEN council has pledged to find the £9 million shortfall needed to build a controversial £14 million super-school in the borough.

Private funding from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Wales was to meet the remaining cost of the Community Learning and Enterprise Centre, after £2 million was provided by Assembly Education Minister Jane Davidson and £3 million given in other grants.

But a dispute over the age of the pupils, make-up of the governing body and possibility of it being a creationist school - teaching in its science lessons that man lived alongside dinosaurs in a world created by God in seven days - led to the CBI money being withdrawn.

Now the council is looking to raise it through private investment or even extra borrowing. Councillor John Turner, executive member for education, said: "It's time to put up or shut up, and we're going to put up."

Proposals are expected to go before the full council next Tuesday to ask officers to look at ways of raising the cash.

The move comes after councillors realised they were unlikely to get the full £5 million of post-Corus funding that they hoped would help to plug the gap.

Councillor Turner said: "We are fully convinced that we are not going to get the full extra money from the post-Corus fund. It's clear we will have to look at other funding arrangements."

The proposal to seek private money was agreed at a Labour party group meeting on Monday night.

Councillor Turner estimated that council officers would report on the best option in September, which would be followed by public consultation focusing on the whole proposal.

The new school will replace Trevethin and Abersychan comprehensives if it is built, as well as offering adult education and skills development.

But Penygarn and St Cadoc's councillor, Mike Davies, called on the council to drop the plan and concentrate on upgrading those schools instead.

"The government is putting extra money into schools and giving the responsibility to head teachers to spend it," he said.

"Any extra money should be spent on what people want, not what they are protesting against."