Peartree Primary School may expand to cope with children from a major new housing development, but it will not leave its current site, according to County Hall.

Spen Hill, the property arm of Tesco, has offered the county council £2.38million for the educational cost of building 850 homes at the derelict Shredded Wheat factory off Broadwater Road, prompting speculation about the future of the nearby primary school.

A County Hall spokeswoman told the Welwyn Hatfield Times: ““The County Council has identified that the expansion of Peartree Primary School could provide the right number of primary school places for the future to meet the needs arising from new housing development currently proposed for the centre of Welwyn Garden City.

“Peartree Primary is currently a one-form entry school. Initial feasibility has indicated that the school could be expanded through a rebuild on its existing site, with the potential use of adjacent land in the county council’s ownership.

“Any future expansion proposal would be subject to a statutory public consultation and the views of the school, parents and the local community would be considered.”