Proposals to double the size of a Deal primary school have raised major concerns about traffic and parking.

Deal Parochial Primary School in Gladstone Road could become a two-form entry school – increasing the intake of pupils from 210 to 420 – if plans by Kent County Council are given the go-ahead.

The plans were outlined at a public meeting last Monday but concerned residents living close by have already said another entrance would be needed to cope with the changes.

Liz Barker, of Cornwall Road, said: “Parking around here is hellish already.

“My major concern is that they’re going to take away parking spaces like they did when the school was built.

“They put an island in and extended the double yellow lines.”

She said KCC’s plan was flawed as it did not take a holistic approach, and residents had no control over changes to the road layout.

She said: “It’s really going to impact us and the value of our house if there is no suitable parking.”

She said she would like to see another entrance created via Canada Road.

Richard Lee, a taxi driver from Gladstone Road, said another entrance could be created in Cornwall Road.

Danielle Jardine, of Cornwall Road, agreed, but said it should be for pupils only and not cars.

Harriet Thomas, of Gladstone Road, had no objections to the expansion but said she would hope for traffic calming measures for the safety of youngsters. She suggested sleeping policemen.

Councillor and school governor Derek Murphy echoed the residents’ concerns.

He is worried about the expected increase in traffic from the Goodwin Academy new build which will open on Hamilton Road in September.

Kent County Council’s area education officer, David Adams, opened the meeting at the school last week.

He said the expansion would take place gradually over seven years, with 60 reception places being offered from 2018.

Staff and resources would be increased accordingly, he said.

He said the new building was likely to be a two-storey stand-alone rectangular shape.

The drop-off and pick-up area would be expanded but it would be a matter for Highways, who were not present at the meeting.

The proposal comes as pressure mounts for the authority to provide more school spaces for the 200,000 more people moving into Kent each year. There has also been an increase in the birth rate.

The ratio used by KCC is 280 primary school places for every 1,000 homes.

The school was built on a site for two-form entry when relocated from London Road to Gladstone Road in the early 2000s.

Head teacher Justine Brown said: “All our staff members are fully on board and view this as progress and a development that will enable our school to move forward with the changing demands and requirements in education.

“It will strengthen and extend our potential in offering an even greater provision for young children in order to develop their learning opportunities.

“The local education authority will be consulting on expanding the school.

“The proposed date for the expansion is from September 2018.”

Benefits include an increase in staff which would widen the skills and expertise of teachers.

There could also be more extra-curricular activities.

If given the go-ahead, KCC says contractors will work with the school to ensure work is scheduled to keep disruption to an minimum and the site remains safe and secure for children, staff and visitors.