PROPOSALS to build a new primary school in Wirral’s historic Birkenhead Park have been ruled out after an objection from English Heritage.

The authority was considering plans to shut Cole Street Primary School, with the nearby Cathcart Street Primary School retained.

Under the new arrangement, all former Cole Street Primary pupils would be guaranteed a place at Cathcart Street.

But the education department had also been asked to look at options for an entirely new school between the two sites.

In a report to be presented to the ruling cabinet this week, a site in Birkenhead Park is suggested as the only possible option.

The park, opened in 1847 and declared a Grade I listed landscape by English Heritage in 1995, was recently subject to an £11.5m renovation plan.

According to the report, initial discussions between the council and Dr Hilary Taylor, a national expert on Joseph Paxton and the Park, and who was also the consultant on the recent renovation, indicated proposals for a primary school on land on the edge of the Park “could be viable”.

However, in his report to the ruling cabinet, Director of Children’s Services, Howard Cooper, said officers had later met with representatives of English Heritage.

He said: “Their view, while sympathetic to the council’s school re-organisation issues, is that the limited benefits of such a scheme were significantly outweighed by negative impacts on the Park and its historic environment.”

In a letter to the council, English Heritage said: “We consider that the proposed scale of development combined with the necessary enclosure by security fencing will potentially have an unacceptably damaging effect on the significance of the historic asset.” Mr Cooper added: “A new school project on the Birkenhead Park site would be highly unlikely to receive English Heritage approval and planning permission, and therefore it is not later recommended to continue.”

The cabinet will now be asked to approve plans to shut Cole Street School in August, 2011, and consider options for Cathcart Street at a later date.