A new school which was to have opened its doors to students in the next couple of weeks is unlikely to be up and running this year.
The former Post 16 Centre is being used by Wellspring Academy Trust to provide a site to teach children aged from five to 16 who are outside mainstream education.
The proposal for the Matmore Gate site met with opposition from residents in the area concerned about traffic and safety.
The new school was due to open at the start of the new year next week, but that has been delayed and it could be next year before students are admitted for the first time.
Exact timings for the school to open are unclear as the trust said reports of April were incorrect but it could not clarify the situation at the time of going to press.
Lincolnshire County Council said it was aware of an issue but stressed the academy was not under its authority as it is a free school.
“We share Wellspring Academy Trust’s frustration and the delays are unacceptable,” said director of children’s services Debbie Barnes.
“Therefore, we have complained to the Education and Skills Funding Agency which is responsible for the refurbishment,” she added.
It is understood that pupils, who are not in mainstream school for a variety of reasons, are continuing at their previous schools for the time being.
A spokesman for Lincolnshire County Council said the reason behind the delay was not clear and it was not directly involved in the project.
There was an outcry when the original application was made at the back end of last year and none of the venues for public consultation included Spalding.
After public pressure there was an event in the town and there was also a consultation document which had 21 responses relating to the scheme. The trust is also set to open academies at three other sites in Grantham, Mablethorpe and Lincoln.
The Wellspring Academy Trust is aiming to have up to 65 children and young people at the school once it is operating.
At the time of the consultation, held at the end of last year, the trust said it would be “working closely” with the local community and it understood the fears over potential traffic problems.
“We will work closely with the local authority to design travel plans and implement any measures to help control the flow of traffic in the area, keeping impact on the roads and noise levels to a minimum,” said a report published after the consultation.
It also reassured concerned residents that there would be “high levels of supervision” at the school and stressed that students would not be allowed to leave the site during lunchtimes or breaks.
