Funding agreed to build new primary school to cater for thousands of new houses south of Leamington

Funding has been agreed for a new primary school south of Leamington to cater for the 4,500 new homes being built in the area.

A report considered by councillors at Warwickshire County Council’s full council meeting (on September 29) explained that the Myton Gardens school would be the third of four primary schools proposed to meet the need for extra school places as a result of the new houses.

Heathcote Primary School opened in September 2017 and the second primary provision will be within the all-through Oakley Grove, which is due to open in September 2024.

Cllr Kam Kaur (Con, Bilton and Hillside), the council’s portfolio holder for education, urged members to support the request and said: “We have an education sufficiency strategy which is continuously monitoring and working with the districts and boroughs to establish where developments are moving faster.”

The report added that the total cost of the project had been estimated at £13.4 million although the project was still evolving and with the outcome of ecological surveys continuing to be assessed, contingency had been included to provide against possible cost increases.

Cllr John Holland (Lab, Warwick West) asked why money secured from the housing companies was not being used to fund the school.

But the report explained that developer funding collected for the area had already been allocated to Heathcote and Oakley Grove schools and the expansion of Campion School.

Councillors voted to add the required £13.4 million to the capital programme with the Labour group abstaining.