Senior councillors will next week take the next step towards increasing the number of pupils at Kirkstall’s Beecroft Primary School by a third.
Members of Leeds council’s decision-making executive board are being asked to approve publishing a statutory notice to permanently expand Beecroft Primary School from a capacity of 210 pupils to 315 with effect from September 2017.
The increase in pupil numbers aims to meet demand in the Kirkstall, Burley and Hawksworth Wood areas.
Publishing a statutory notice is the next legal step in increasing capacity and follows a public consultation earlier this year, where 67 out of 86 respondents supported the moves.
Some concerns had been expressed about whether the school was large enough to accommodate the extra pupils,and a potnetial loss of playing area, among others.
The report concludes:
“The issues raised during consultation regarding the expansion of Beecroft Primary School have been considered, and on balance, the proposal remains strong and addresses the need for school places in the area.
“The additional places are required to ensure the authority meets its legal requirement to ensure sufficiency of primary provision for September 2017. There is evidence of local need for places and it is therefore recommended
that the proposal be approved.”
The report can be read in full here.
The executive board will meet next Wednesday at Leeds Civic Hall (1pm). Members of the public can attend proceedings.