A new school for Highfield is one step closer after county bosses gave the green light to using the closed Jupiter Drive site for the new venture.
It means that the group behind the proposal can drive ahead with plans for the base, which has been empty since August 2008.
But the Herts Community Free School Trust will not hear from the Department of Education on whether it has been successful in its bid for a new school until May.
Susan Poole from the trust, which opened a free school in Hatfield last year, said: “If we waited until it gets to May then the building won’t be ready in time.”
She said the group is working on drawing up formal plans for the Jupiter Drive Primary School site, which will be subject to the formal planning application process.
The site includes of the vacant school premises, playing fields and a small tract of county council-owned land known as Highfield House retained land. Its value has been assessed at £2.225 million.
If given the go ahead the school is expected to open in September 2014 and will start by taking in two forms at reception level.