Plans to expand a village primary school are being opposed over fears it could put the future of others “at risk”.

Kent County Council has ambitions to add a new classroom block to Coxheath Primary School, near Maidstone, so as to turn it from a two-form entry into a three-form entry.

The education authority said that there was a large increase in the number of pre-school age children living in Coxheath that warranted the expansion, if they were to be educated locally.

They plan to add a third block to the existing two, to provide an extra three reception classrooms, three infant classrooms, one general classroom, two group rooms and a medical room and staff room.

The scheme would require the school to take on 14 extra staff.

to be given the go-ahead it would need to secure official planning permission - although this is usually a forgone conclusion as KCC has the right to grant permission to itself on its own sites.

But on this occasion, at least one of their members is opposed.

Cllr Simon Webb (Con), who is himself a former headteacher and whose Maidstone Rural West division includes the village, is trying to stop the expansion.

He believes that the current surge in young children is a blip that won’t be sustained - and that having provided extra capacity at Coxheath, KCC will be obliged to fill it.

Cllr Webb said that, in the medium term, this would put other smaller local schools at risk.

He said: “An expanded Coxheath would take pupils away from the other village schools such as East Farleigh, Hunton and Yalding, perhaps making them unsustainable.

“I’m not saying they would close, but there could be reduced classes and a restricted curriculum as a result.”

Cllr Webb acknowledges there would be two years when Coxheath was oversubscribed, but suggested the extra children could be better accommodated in mobile classrooms as they worked their way through the school.

He believes that KCC’s own data did not illustrate an excess demand at Coxheath beyond the next two years’ intake.

He said: “You have to bear in mind that the birth rate across Kent is falling.”

Cllr Webb is also arguing that KCC has not fulfilled its constitutional obligations before bringing a planning application forward.

He said: “It is the cabinet member for education’s remit to make a decision on whether the school expansion goes ahead, but he is supposed to present the proposal to the Children’s, Young People and Education Cabinet Committee first to gain their views.”

“That hasn’t happened. It was supposed to go before the committee on November 21, but was deferred until January.

“Even after that, he has to issue a statutory notice of intent, before work on the school can go ahead.”

Cllr Webb said he would be speaking against the expansion when the matter did finally go before the cabinet committee, but he added: “The cabinet member, Cllr Rory Love, is a very intelligent man.

“I’m sure he will not want to go ahead with an £8m school expansion, if the figures do not justify it.”

KCC has explained why the planning application was being presented first.

A spokesman said: “Any new county council expenditure over £1million requires a cabinet member decision, in this case a decision by the cabinet member for education, Cllr Love.

“It is important the cabinet member is fully apprised of all relevant information relating to the decision, particularly the cost of a scheme.

“The design and cost of a proposed scheme can sometimes change through amendments or conditions made at the point of planning decisions being made.

“It is therefore prudent and usual practice for cabinet members to take formal decisions only after planning has been determined to ensure the design and cost of a scheme has been developed as far as possible.

“Should planning permission be granted for the Coxheath school expansion, it could only be implemented once a decision has been taken by the cabinet member, informed by the views of the relevant cabinet committee. This would take place at a later date.”