THERE will be 150 fewer pupil places if plans for a replacement school get the go ahead.

Blueprints have been drawn up for a new Sidemoor and Meadows First School. But the replacement would have over 150 less places than the two schools currently have between them.

At present Sidemoor and Meadows First have a total of 961 places. However, the proposed new £60million PFI development would see the combined school, in Stourbridge Road, with only 806 places. Worcestershire County Council has also revealed plans to reduce the school catchment area.

Planning members at Bromsgrove District Council deferred a decision on the Meadows and Parkside application after concerns were raised about traffic flow and the public walkway running through the site.

A spokesman for Worcestershire County Council said: "The council, along with the headteachers and governors, has agreed a proposed boundary change to reflect the changes to the schools and class sizes. This change will balance the number of children due to enter school in or after September 2006 and also help with traffic flow around the school which is one of the issues raised."

When asked why a smaller school is being built, the county council spokesman said that both schools had fewer pupils on the school role than places available and so no one should lose out on places.

"If there were bulges or slacks in the numbers going through the system, then temporary measures would have been introduced. But these changes are expected to be permanent, so Sidemoor will expand to take up the slack from Meadows as the north part of town develops."