FOUR new classrooms could be created at a Clevedon school to cater for the growing number of children needing primary school places.

North Somerset Council has submitted a planning application to extend St Nicholas Chantry Primary School to allow it to take an extra 105 pupils over seven years.

Pupil number forecasts have identified that by September next year there will not be enough primary school places in Clevedon to meet demand. The proposed single-storey extension would allow St Nicholas Chantry to have a total capacity of 420 pupils from September 2015, compared with the 315 it currently caters for.

The Highdale Avenue school would admit an extra 15 pupils each year over the next seven years.

It is hoped the extension will allow extra places to be created on a long-term basis.

As well as the four new classrooms, the project would also include remodelling the interior of some of the existing buildings to create new group rooms, toilets and staff accomodation. Existing classrooms will also be enhanced and corridors improved to ensure they stay warmer in winter.

In July, consultation sessions were held to allow nearby residents, pupils, parents and teachers to view the proposals and comment on them.

Concerns were raised about how the school would manage the increased traffic to the site. A travel survey in April revealed that 50 per cent of pupils walk to school, 22 per cent car share and 24 per cent are driven alone by their parent/carer.

A further assessment has shown the extension is likely to result in an additional six cars arriving at the school each day for each additional 15 pupils it takes on. As a result, a school travel group has been established to look at how best to reduce congestion and encourage more parents to walk.

One planning document submitted with the application also says: “North Somerset Council and the school will continue to engage with the community through this and the planning process to gather and work to mitigate transport issues.”