A Hackbridge primary school has been given the green light to expand to provide ‘much needed’ primary school places.

The proposed expansion of Hackbridge Primary School, in Hackbridge Road, was unanimously passed by members of Sutton Council’s children, family and education committee on Thursday, December 15.

A report presented at the committee read: “Given that Hackbridge has been identified by the borough as a sustainable neighbourhood and a focus for future housing growth in the future, the local authority has been working with Hackbridge Primary School on expansion proposals to serve the Hackbridge and surrounding area in the future.

“The most notable development is at Felnex, directly opposite the existing school, where 725 additional residential units are planned.”

However, the report suggested that the expansion of the school should be a split-site development on an area near BedZed that initially will have a one-form entry capacity with further provision being added later when needed.

Council officers did explain that it was expected that a two-form entry would be needed in the future and said the school was cautious to open the additional provision all at once due to “potential financial difficulties associated with schools that have spare capacity".

A Sutton Council spokesman said: "We have been working with Hackbridge Primary School on expansion proposals to serve Hackbridge in the future given the significant number of additional houses planned for the area.

“This expansion will be in addition to the two new sites for primary provision identified in the Local Plan. Expansion of Hackbridge Primary was unanimously approved at Children, Family and Education Committee on 15 December after receiving no formal representations of opposition.

“We will now start to plan the proposed expansion of the school to provide much needed additional primary places by September 2018.”

Hackbridge Primary School was given a ‘good’ rating by Ofsted and educates about 591 pupils.

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