Haverfordwest's two secondary schools, including their sixth forms, will be merged as soon as possible, if recommendations to tomorrow's (Thursday) meeting of full council go ahead.

The schools debacle now looks likely to be heading into its fifth consultation. Last May full council made a shock vote against an 11-16 school in Haverfordwest, which would have placed sixth form provision for the county town at Pembrokeshire College.

The Haverfordwest proposals have been constantly met with a storm of protest from school pupils and staff, parents and governors alike.

"The appetite for retaining 11-19 secondary provision in Haverfordwest cannot be ignored," reads a report to council from the director for children and schools, Kate Evan-Hughes.

"Consequently, for Haverfordwest, members are asked to consider the merits of establishing a new 11-19 school in the town."

The report recommends that this goes ahead "at the earliest opportunity" to improve pupil outcome in both schools, with the new merged school initially spread over both the Thomas Picton and Tasker Milward sites.

The opportunity for utilising Band A 21st Century Schools funding for the merger is "highly unlikely". However there would be the potential to access Band B funding from 2019 onwards.

The report states that a merger must be based on significant improvement in standards in both schools, which are currently in special measures.

A merged Tasker Milward and Thomas Picton School will result in a pupil body of around 1900, which could only be accommodated on one of the two possible sites, however this would still entail "significant challenges" in relation to infrastructure.

A more detailed options appraisal will take place before any decision to proceed to statutory consultation.

Draft minutes from a meeting between the director and the Tasker Milward and Picton trustees state the site for the 11-19 school would be known by next May.

The Tasker Milward and Picton trustees were also told that it was likely that there would be three or four "slightly adapted" post 16 models in Pembrokeshire rather than a one size fits all plan.

The governors and headteacher of the 11-19 school would determine what post 16 provision was on offer, in collaboration with other providers.

Councillors are recommended to approve the discontinuation of both Tasker Milward and Sir Thomas Picton schools on August 31 2018, with the new 11-19 school established on September 1 that year.

Subject to council's approval, a four week statutory consultation with the trustees will start next Monday, October 24, a general consultation could then begin in January next year with a final determination of the proposal coming before council in July 2017.