A decision on plans to merge Padiham Primary School's two sites is expected to be made at the Lancashire County Council Development Control Committee next Wednesday.

If given the green light, the Burnley Road and Victoria Road sites would be consolidated onto one site – the infants' site in Burnley Road.

Work would be started almost immediately which would include a single-storey extension being built onto the building on the infants' site.

It is hoped work would be completed by October 2009 and Mr John Hughes, headteacher at the school, said: "I am extremely hopeful it will all be given the go-ahead and I don't see why it wouldn't be. A single storey extension would be built onto the current building and that would house an extra five classrooms and state-of-the-art facilities.

"It will be a lot easier and certainly a lot safer with all the children situated on one site."

County Coun. Marcus Johnstone said: "I am absolutely delighted this is going to be happening. With the high school coming along it shows the town is making some real progress."

Uncertainty does surround the future of the 98-year-old Victoria Road building if it was to be vacated, although it is expected Lancashire County Council would sell it off.