SUPPORTERS of Bridport's Mountjoy Special School fear more delays and soaring costs could mean a replacement will never be built.

Dorset County Council says it is currently reappraising the option for the new school' after the Environment Agency asked for design alterations to the proposed plans on the new site at Flood Lane. But campaigners are worried the council's phraseology could mean the worst.

Friends of Mountjoy School chairman Frank Wilde believes the action plan produced last year by DCC is a now a useless bit of paper.

He said: "What does reappraising the option mean? Is the building of the new school now at risk? "What timescale if it is to be built? Where is it to be built?"

The Friends have enlisted the support of MP Oliver Letwin over the latest stumbling block.

In a reply to the MP DCC states, talking about the assessment by the Environment Agency, We are advised the results of this will provide more confidence in the assessment of the flood risk of the site but could also have a bearing on the overall viability of the Flood Lane site for the replacement school'.

Mr Wilde said: "I have on file costings prepared in the year 2000 which estimate the replacement cost for Mountjoy School to be £3,309,000 at completion in 2003.

"Through my sources I have learned that the probable cost in 2008 is now nearer £10,000,000. What a waste of taxpayers' money."

He added that nothing had changed since he had written to the county council's then director of education in May 2004 which outlined all that had taken place with the Mountjoy project since the spring of 1999.

"We still have the same frustrations, the same lack of action and the same waste of money.

"The Friends of Mountjoy is very concerned at recent developments. Dorset County Council should be aware that public opinion in Bridport and surrounding areas is very much on our side and we will not hesitate to use that support in every possible legal way to bring this project to a successful conclusion."

Keith Armstad, DCC head of premises with children's services said they were still very much in the hands of the Environment Agency who were conducting a modelling experiment for potential flooding in the area and they had to wait until they had a definitive answer on what they needed to do in terms of the design or the site.

"We cannot give a definitive answer until such time as we have the information from the Environment Agency," he said.

He said MP Oliver Letwin had offered to approach the Environment Agency and Mr Armstad said any support and help he could give would be greatly appreciated.

The school has been a permanent fixture in Bridport for the past 40 years.

But when its future was under threat in 1999, townspeople were vociferous in their opposition to it merging with Wyvern School in Weymouth.

A highly-charged public meeting at St Mary's Church called on county council officials to have a change of heart. More than 11,000 signed a petition against closure.

Now, after years of campaigning, a new school looked set to be built behind the social and education centre. But the latest deadlock throws the future into doubt.

The special school is soon due for an Ofsted inspection. On the last two occasions, the teaching was praised but the school building was singled out for criticism.