The West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC), which was created by the Government to push forward the expansion of Northampton, Daventry and Towcester, backed plans to build on the school sites last year.

But following lengthy discussions about how the sites will actually be developed and a growing increase in public concern over the plans, the group will look at the schemes again during a meeting next week.

The sites which will be looked into are the former Abington Vale School site, the former Emmanuel Church Middle School site, the former Blackthorn Middle School site, land at Ryelands School, the former Ecton Brook Middle School site, the former St Mary's Middle School site, the former Goldings school site, the former Cherry Orchard School site and the former Millway Primary site.

Plans to redevelop four of the sites, Cherry Orchard, Ecton Brook Middle School, Blackthorn Middle School and Millway Primary, were all backed during one meeting of the WNDC in February 2007.

But documents which will be seen by the WNDC's planning committee for Northampton next week, suggest the length of time which has passed since the plans were backed means they should be reconsidered.

The report on the Millway site said: "The application, together with a number of other proposals on former school sites in the town, is being returned to committee not as a result of any proposed changes to the scheme since it was last considered, but rather as a result of the elapsed time to allow the committee to consider the matter in light of any changes in circumstances and to review the position."

Concerns have also been raised about the loss of sports pitches if all the development goes ahead and the WNDC has said the public interest is "not well served by the indefinite continuation of negotiations" on the scheme.

The WNDC's planning committee will discuss the future of the school sites due for development on September 30.