COULD a £7 million new school be finally coming to the village of Raglan?

People in the north Monmouthshire village have waited years for a new school building for Raglan VC Primary School, since the junior and infant schools merged.

Now the council has said it will find out next year whether it will win Assembly funding for the replacement school, which could be ready by September 2012.

Currently pupils use the sites of the old junior and infant schools.

Margaret Davies, chairwoman of governors, said that the infant school building, although not unsafe, is old and is not suitable for the Assembly’s foundation phase curriculum.

"It’s clearly a building that needs constant repair," she said.

But she added the goodwill of both staff and parents have made the school work.

A report to Monmouthshire Council’s cabinet said the council’s current capital budget has set aside £5.5 million for the building.

In total it will likely require £7 million, it said, because of building costs and the energy efficiency standards required to win Assembly support.

The report added the council expects potential funding of £5.59 million between 2010 and 2013 for the scheme.

Andrew Keep, the council’s corporate director for lifelong learning and leisure, said the scheme would include a 210 capacity primary school with community facilities.

"However, we cannot build it without the necessary funding from the Assembly," he added.

"We should hear in summer 2010 whether we have been able to secure this. Assuming we obtain the funding, we hope to open the school in September 2012."