A PLANNING application to extend Malmesbury School has been submitted in preparation for an increase in the number of pupils.

The extension, which will see four new classrooms build onto one end of the school, has been in the pipeline for some time, according to headteacher Tim Gilson, as pupils number forecasts have steadily risen for the school.

The forecasts are produced by Wiltshire Council and estimate how many children they expect to see moving to the area in coming years.

On current projections, the school will have 1,512 pupils by 2023, up from its current total of 1,326.

The funding for the extension will come from Section 106 money, a pot which developers contribute to when they build new homes in the area. The funds are typically spent on infrastructure projects, such as highways upkeep and schools.

Speaking about the plans, Mr Gilson said: “We’ve known for a considerable amount of time we needed to expand.

“Once we know we have more students coming, we start planning for that.

“We do the planning for the number of places every year in consultation with the authority.”

If planning permission is approved, it is hoped the building of the extension will start in the summer, but Mr Gilson says the work will take longer than the holiday period.

He insists however that school life will be uninterrupted by the development, due to the nature of the school’s site.

Mr Gilson went on to predict that the plans will not receive much opposition from local residents as the site is “very self-contained”.

“Once built, nobody will notice the difference,” he said.

The plans have received an objection from Sport England however, on the basis that the extension will be built on a playing field which would “adversely impact the existing playing field”.

In the objection letter, Sport England wrote: “This is a reasonably new school on a playing field site with limited playing fields remaining on site post school build.

“It is understood that the proposal prejudices the use, or leads to the loss of use, of land being used as a playing field or has been used as a playing field in the last five years.

“The consultation with Sport England is therefore a statutory requirement.

“Should the applicant reconsider moving the proposal to a part of the school site that does not affect the playing fields in an adverse way for sport, then Sport England would re-consider our position.”

Malmesbury Town Council have made no objection to the proposals.