APRIMARY school has submitted a planning application to retain four classrooms and create a new play area.

Brightside County Junior and Infant School, in Brightside, Billericay, is seeking permission from Basildon Council to keep four temporary classrooms until August 2020 to cope with a predicted influx of pupils. The school also wants to build 300sqm hard play area.

The council’s planning committee will decide the scheme.

A county council spokeswoman said: “Two of the relocatable classrooms at the school were previously used by a playgroup, which has now moved into the children’s centre that has since been started at the school. A review was undertaken of all relocatable accommodation at the school and, taking into account forecast pupil numbers for 2013 and beyond, it was decided they would still be required.

“The extra playground is necessary for the extra children who joined the school in September.”