A councillor says the expansion of schools will help deliver extra school places the borough ‘desperately’ needs.

This week work on increasing the size of four more primary schools were given the go-ahead by Harrow Borough Council’s planning committee.

Cannon Lane school, in Pinner, Shaftesbury School, in Harrow Weald, Whitchurch School, in Stanmore and Norbury School in Harrow will all have building work carried out in the coming year.

The work is part of the council’s second phase of expansion which will see eight schools increased in size to cope with an increased demand for spaces.

Cabinet member for schools Simon Brown said: “This marks an excellent start to our administration, which is committed to delivering the extra school places that Harrow’s children so desperately need.

“There are some exceptional designs here which will give schools not just more classrooms – but facilities, play space and staff parking to match.

“At Whitchurch, Cannon Lane and Norbury, we’re pleased that extra highways enforcement and travel planning is going hand-in-hand with the new buildings, to regulate traffic.

“And there has been a big increase in pupils with special educational needs in our borough – so we are particularly looking forward to creating new additional places at Shaftesbury.”

The first phase of the expansion plan is already underway with eight schools permanently expanded from September last year.

During the past two years the council has secured funding from the Government for the second phase of expansion, including £30million from the Government’s targeted basic needs fund.

On Wednesday evening next week plans for a further four schools due to be expanded are set to be heard by the planning committee.

They are Kenmore Park Infant and Junior School, Elmgrove First and Middle School, both in Kenton St John Fisher Primary school, in Pinner, and Bentley Wood High School, in Stanmore.