Beckfoot School, in Wagon Lane, wants to demolish 85 per cent of the existing buildings and replace them with a three- storey school attached to what remains of the existing school.

An application for outline planning permission, which will be considered by Bradford Council's Area Planning Panel for Shipley, on Tuesday, also includes new sports facilities on the site, which lies within greenbelt land, and a new special school, Hazelbeck School.

Some of the school's buildings date back to 1943 and in 2003 a council survey revealed many of them were in a poor general state with problems including major roof defects, cramped teaching areas and timber cladding suffering from wet rot.

A report to be considered by the panel says: "The result is a teaching environment that lowers the quality of the teaching services available and in consequence lowers the whole learning experience of the pupils."

Outline planning permission was sought in 2005 to build a new secondary and special schools on the playing fields but the application was put on hold pending a full flood risk probe.

The Environment Agency has raised no objections to the scheme from a flooding point of view but it is concerned about potential water pollution from contamination of oil and diesel found underground on the site.

Just two objectors to the latest plans said noise from the school's existing music hall was unacceptable at times and voiced concerns over traffic.

Council officers have recommended that the plans are approved. The report to be considered by the panel says: "It is considered that there are very special circumstances that exist to justify an exception to green- belt policy for the construction of a new school on this site following demolition of the majority of the existing school."