A special needs school will be united on a single site, under plans which mark an about-turn by the council.

Six months ago, then education chief Cllr Les Wicks (Con) said there was no money to create a new home for Abbey Court Community Special School.

He said in May: "Building a school takes anything like £25 million. There’s not the funding around today that there was."

At the time the school’s board of governors criticised the council’s "lack of vision".

Now proposals have been brought forward to move the school, which caters for 141 pupils aged three to 19 with severe and profound learning difficulties, to the old Temple School in Cliffe Road a mile away.

Currently it is split between two sites: Long Catlis Road, Rainham, and Rede Court Road, Strood.

Building work is expected to begin next summer, as the council now has £11 million of funding available.

The school argues neither of its sites are big enough for all its pupils. The need for a single site is becoming more urgent because of an increase in pupil numbers, the school argues.

Councillors are expected to put the plans out to consultation at a cabinet meeting today (Tuesday).