PERMISSION to expand two borough primary schools has been welcomed by the cabinet member for education skills and culture.
The decision to expand Blossomfield Infant School and Greswold Primary School from September 2016 will result in an extra 300 places being made available across the two schools.
The expansion will see Blossomfield Infant School increase its current 180 places to 270 places – Greswold Primary School would expand from 420 places to 630 places.
The move comes after it was identified that an additional 1,700 primary school places were required within the borough.
A report published to coincide with the decision set out what steps the council will take to tackle issues including child safety, parking issues and improvements to the crossing facilities at Lode Lane.
Councillor Joe Tildesley welcomed the move and said: “I welcome the cabinet’s decision to approve the planned expansion of both Blossomfield Infant School and Greswold Primary School.
“It will mean we are able to meet local demand by providing these extra places in two schools that have a good local reputation for good educational standards.”
The report also addressed concerns regarding the size of Greswold Primary School, along with maintaining standards and security of the school site.
The expansion has been criticised by Solihull Ratepayers Association (SRA) which says the increased number of pupils could lead to more traffic issues.
Trevor Eames, secretary at SRA, said: “The parking issue goes back several years.
“A large number of pupils are taken to school by parents and the increase in number of pupils for such a small site could be problematic.
“I agree with the expansion of students, however something needs to be done about the traffic congestion and using local facilities as informal car parks would go a long way to meet the issue.”
