by political editor Paul Francis

Any plans to cut the number of pupils admitted to grammar schools in east Kent are unlikely before 2016, according to Michael Howard MP.

Mr Howard said Kent County Council had assured him any reductions in pupil numbers would be considered as part of wider plans to eliminate spare places across all secondary schools.

The MP took up the issue with County Hall education officials after we reported how KCC’s Conservative administration was proposing transferring places from grammar schools in Dover and Shepway to meet increased demand in west Kent.

Mr Howard said KCC had now assured him that was not the case but he remained concerned about the authority’s longer term forecasts for pupil numbers.

"As I understand it, the proposed changes in grammar school places in Shepway would not take effect until 2016 and is pretty well in keeping with reductions planned for other schools in Shepway, which are connected to projections for the school population in 2016," he said.

Officials had told him there were no plans to ask Shepway grammars to forfeit places until that time, he added.

"If I am satisfied that the projections [of pupil numbers] are sound, then I don’t think we have very much to complain about. Nobody wants to see spare places at schools that cost the taxpayer and money the county council can ill-afford," he said.

However, there was confusion when Cllr Paul Carter, the Conservative leader of Kent County Council stood by his proposal and insisted in an interview the re-allocation of places at grammars from east to west made sense.

"There is an over provision of places in east Kent and under provision in west Kent. It is just a minor adjustment which is attracting unnecessary publicity in my view. It is commonsense and we should just get on with it," he said.

Meanwhile, the plans have faced further criticism from the leader of Dover council.

Cllr Paul Watkins (Con) said he was "particularly disappointed" by the news and said demand for places at the area’s two selective schools could well grow as the town developed.

"I do not believe this is the right way forward. We are at a time when Dover is growing and likely to grow even more. It is a short-term solution and short-sighted."