Plans for a 210-place primary school alongside Gloucestershire County Cricket Club's ground in Bishopston have been dealt another blow.

Bristol City Council's development control (north) committee delayed a decision on the scheme last night after hearing objections and concerns.

The news throws further doubt on the chances of the £5 million school being ready to take in its first 30 pupils next September.

Parents were already concerned about the proposed school after hearing the council had not yet found another primary willing to set up and run the new facility.

Families in the area who would like their four-year-olds to attend the school have been told not to seek places there when submitting their primary school applications in time for tomorrow'sdeadline but to instead send the city council an email or letter expressing their interest in a place.

The council's ruling Liberal Democrats, who reinstated plans for the school when they returned to office in the spring, said they are still confident of the new reception class being ready to open at the site next September.

But opposition councillors and parents are not so sure.

The Bristol Local Education Partnership, which carries out major education construction projects for the city council, is due to start building work at the end of the year, once planning permission is secured.

The council said yesterday, before the planning meeting deferred its decision on the scheme which officials had recommended for approval: "Bristol City Council is actively working with schools in north Bristol to ensure that new facilities at the Gloucestershire County Cricket Club site are open for September 2010. This will create new primary school places in this part of the city, so as many pupils as possible can go to a school close to their home. The new facilities will not be run through Bishop Road Primary School, which was the council's first option, but work is still on track to ensure they will be built and that effective arrangements will be in place to run them.

"Parents who want to express interest in a place at the new facility should do this by email to newsbishopstonprimary@bristol.gov.uk or by writing to our admissions team. The deadline for applications for this new provision only has been extended, so parents can be given further information about the running of the school before confirming their preference for a place there."

Councillors heard last night that the position of the planned L-shaped buildings on a site at City of Bristol College's Ashley Down campus, known as the Brunel field, had been altered so the original area set aside for a school could be used for parking for food vans and broadcasting vehicles when major cricket matches were taking place.

The committee was also told that Gloucestershire County Cricket Club has submitted £10m expansion plans of its own, to be considered later this year.

About 25 people objected to the school proposals, on issues such as the site being too small for the number of pupils proposed and there being no space for future expansion.

Plans for a 210-place school were passed by the council in 2007, then dropped as it was felt a larger school would be better.