Plans to relocate a Tonbridge special school have been hit by a set back after an expensive drainage problem was uncovered.

This week Kent County Council has withdrawn an application to move Ridge View Special School to Higham Lane after Southern Water identified drainage problems which will cost £2million to rectify.

However, the authority has now identified Yeoman’s Field, which is currently used as playing fields by The Judd School, as a new site and an application is likely to be lodged later this year.

If successful Ridge View will relocate to the Lower Haysden Lane site in September 2017, with work commencing on buildings which will accommodate 80 additional pupils in July 2016.

The Cage Green Road institution currently serves 100 pupils aged between two and 19, with profound, severe and complex learning difficulties.

A formal agreement with The Judd School, which has recently secured new fields closer to its own site, is expected by the end of the school year.

Ridge View headteacher Jacqui Tovey said: “We are obviously delighted that the plans for our relocation to a new site are moving ahead.

“Thanks to the co-operation between KCC and The Judd School, the pupils of Ridge View will benefit from important new and expanded facilities.

“Parents, staff and Governors who were informed last week are fully supportive of these new plans and we are very keen to work with KCC and the Judd to finally fulfil our vision for the new school.”

Roger Gough, KCC’s Cabinet member for Education, said: “We recognised some while ago that there was a demand for more places for children with the kinds of needs catered for by Ridge View.

“Finally and hopefully we can move ahead with plans for the new site following some positive discussions with The Judd School. It will now be able to develop its new fields ahead of the existing schedule with exciting new facilities closer to the main school.

“We are delighted to have found somewhere for Ridge View that we hope all interested parties will support.”

The headmaster of The Judd School, Robert Masters, said: “We are pleased to be able to support the relocation of Ridge View, which plays a vital role in the Tonbridge school community and beyond. At the same time, this arrangement will enable us to bring forward the development of our new sports facilities, provided the necessary permissions are forthcoming.”