A LONG-DELAYED free school is set to clear the final hurdle before building works can begin.

The Church of England King’s School will be granted a 125-year lease for premises at the current site of West Blatchington Primary School when councillors vote through plans on Thursday.

The vote is expected to pass with unanimous support after planning permission for the site was granted in September.

The school is currently based in buildings formerly used by the Portslade Aldridge Community Academy.

Without room to expand, the 396-strong establishment has been trying to find a new site for several years.

In September planning was granted which will revolutionise facilities for both the primary school and the CofE secondary.

Crumbling 1950s buildings which currently house West Blatchington Primary and Nursery schools in Hangleton Way Hove, are to be levelled.

Where the school now stands - and elsewhere across the huge 3.8-hectare site - a newly-built primary school will rise along with a new home for a 1,000-pupil secondary school.

West Blatchington Primary School will get a new two-storey building while the King’s School building will be three storeys high with 35 classrooms.

The number of pupils using the site will triple with the primary school able to take in more than 480 pupils and the secondary school and sixth form 1,050 pupils.

Building work will be done in a single phase but with the existing primary school remaining in place until its replacement is built.

The final administrative issue outstanding is the matter of the land’s ownership. On Thursday, councillors will agree to let King’s (via the Education Funding Agency and the Secretary of State for Education) enter into a 125-year lease for its half of the site.

In their report, council officers said: “The proposal provides an opportunity to bring together West Blatchington Primary and Nursery School, the special unit, in a single purpose built building and to remove its dependence on mobile classrooms.

“Entering into the 125-year lease will secure the site for secondary education.”

Ward councillor Tony Janio (Con) said he was in favour of the project but added: “We do know the local residents have big concerns about traffic, and transport provisions in the plans.”