A £1.3MILLION plan to expand a Crediton school was approved by councillors on Wednesday.

The proposals to improve Landscore Primary School are part of £3million being spent on Devon schools.

The expansion has come in response to rising number of pupils in the area.

Gary Read, head teacher at Landscore primary, said: “Crediton is growing as a town. In my time here our school has gone from 230 pupils to 335, which means we are already over capacity.

“In terms of the process we work closely with the council to make sure the expansion is what we want.

“I think it is good. It will be money well spent.”

Devon County Council’s Cabinet approved £2.8 million in total to provide additional places at Highweek in Newton Abbot, Landscore in Crediton and Sticklepath in Barnstaple.

The work will mean all three schools will each be able to accommodate 420 children in total with 60 starting school each year.

Devon County Council’s Cabinet member for schools, James McInnes, said: “Our policy is to provide local schools for local children.

“Many communities across Devon are expanding and the county council has to ensure that there are sufficient school places for all the families who want them.

“We work closely with heads and governors on expansion plans like these and – in these times of austerity – it is vitally important that we secure sufficient contributions from developers to help cover the costs.”

The report into the planning proposals said that Crediton has seen “significant growth in early years numbers in the town alongside a number of proposed housing developments.

“Officers have agreed in consultation with both local schools, Landscore Primary School and Haywards Primary School, that they will expand to a planned admission number of 60, the latter being a future priority for capital investment,” the report continued.

The scheme at Landscore still remains subject to planning approval.

Head of Planning, Transport and Environment, Dave Black, said: “There are a number of areas in Devon where primary numbers continue to rise beyond the capacity of local schools.

“The proposals will support both demographic and housing growth.”

Mr Read later added: “My only concern will be lots of parents drive to school.

“We need to get the parents to work with us to get children to come up with different ways of getting their children to school.

“I don’t think we are going to get around it by reducing parking it’s about educating.”