More than 8,000 extra school places for Staffordshire

The additional spaces will be needed due to the number of houses being built between now and 2030.

It's estimated that there will be 59,457 built across the county.

County council bosses estimate that around £350 million will need to be spent on providing additional primary and secondary school places.

A total of 4,000 primary and secondary spots will be required in Stafford borough, 1,080 in Cannock and 3,200 in Lichfield district.

Cabinet member for learning and skills, Councillor Ben Adams said in a report: "Over the last five years in Staffordshire around 2,200 new primary places and over 200 secondary places have been created through schools maximising use of their accommodation and through capital investment of £33m.

"However, the situation is changing and there is an escalating demand and new pressures emerging.

"Demographic changes resulting from increasing births, inward and outward migration and district and borough councils' plans for a minimum of 59,457 new homes by 2030 indicate a need for around £350m of capital investment to provide additional primary and secondary school places over the next 15 years.

"Demand for new places will be greatest in areas with most new housing planned."

It comes after a number of large housing projects have been given the go-ahead in the county.

David Wilson Homes Mercia has begun work on 186 homes at Tixall Road. While 62 'attractive, modern, energy-efficient' apartments are also planned for a site in Hesketh Road, Stafford. The £7.3m scheme has been proposed by Stafford and Rural Homes (SARH).

It is part of a wider, £40m programme being undertaken by SARH to meet housing needs.

The aim is 'to regenerate key neighbourhoods' in Staffordshire and build more than 300 new homes.

Among the schemes earmarked for Lichfield is an estate of 150 homes off Limburg Avenue, next to the Waitrose supermarket.

Last month it was announced that two Stafford schools will receive funding to ensure they remain 'fit for the future'.

Castlechurch Primary and Walton High School have been successful in their applications for the cash. Although the precise amount the schools will receive has yet to be announced, only projects costing more than £250,000 for primaries and £500,000 for secondaries were considered.

The money will go towards improving facilities, refurbishing classrooms or even rebuilding some parts.