WAYS to ease pressure on some school places across Bradford will be decided by council leaders next week, but one councillor has warned they are running out of options to create new ones.

Bradford Council's executive will make decisions on several school proposals at the meeting - decisions that could result in some schools expanding and others agreeing to alter their catchment areas.

Proposals being discussed include increasing the size of Parklands Primary School in Greengates by 124 pupils, changes to the admissions criteria at Cottingley Village Primary School to help nearby families get places at the school if it is oversubscribed, and merging two Silsden schools to create a new, larger primary.

DEVELOPERS MUST BOOST INFRASTRUCTURE

If approved, the changes will come into effect in September 2017.

The changes are needed partly due to "a considerable number of houses" being built in certain areas in recent years.

The executive will be asked to increase the capacity of Parkland from 296 to 420 from September 2017. A public consultation was held with parents and the local community last summer, and out of 31 people who responded, 30 approved of the proposals and one parent objected.

If the executive approve the proposals at Tuesday's meeting a planning application will be submitted to "internally re-model" Old Park Road school to fit the extra pupils.

Another proposal will be to merge Aire View Infant School and Hothfield Junior School in Silsden, creating a new primary with 630 pupils.

Michael Jameson, strategic director of children's services, said: "We believe that both the Parkland Primary expansion and the Silsden schools merger will benefit local families and help to meet a need for more school places.”

Last year, Cottingley residents were consulted on proposals to alter the catchment area of Cottingley Village Primary School. The executive will be asked to chose one of four different options for which areas of the village will get priority for the school if it is oversubscribed. Councillors have been advised to pick an option that will see families in Titania Close more likely to get a place at the school. The street is a short distance from the school, but because it was built after current catchment areas were drawn up it is not in the existing priority area.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, executive member for education, said: "We work with schools to make sure that wherever possible young people have easy access to a good local school. Schools are keen to make sure that admissions arrangements are fair and transparent to all.”

On the merging of the Silsden schools she added: "It makes sense for the infant and junior schools to come together to create one primary school in Silsden and the Parklands Primary expansion is needed. It's important to plan whenever we can to improve the school admissions for local families.”

Liberal Democrat spokesman Councillor Jeanette Sunderland (Idle and Thackley) said: "These new places are welcome, but we are now at a point where we don't have any more schools that can be expanded in the future.

"I think that every new housing development should now come with a primary school included."

The meeting takes place in City Hall at 10.30am on Tuesday.