Councillors have sent two Dartford school expansion plans to the Government as an example of how Kent is struggling to reach demand for school places.

Plan for expansions of two oversubscribed schools on greenbelt land have been sent to the housing minister for approval.

Wilmington Academy and Wilmington Grammar School both plan to increase the size of their campuses to accommodate students in the area.

Plans to keep three temporary classrooms at the academy in Common Lane were approved alongside a 42-space car park while a permanent solution was sent to Westminster for approval.

If approved by housing secretary James Brokenshire, a three-storey teaching block will be built to accommodate an increase of their intake from 900 pupils to 1,200 plus the sixth form.

The school would also build 18 additional car parking spaces, an outdoor play area and a games court extension.

The neighbouring selective school in Parsons Lane would build a two-storey teaching block and a sports hall for an additional form of entry at the school.

As these extensions would increase the amount of traffic in the area, the grammar school has also included a coach drop-off loop for six buses and 12 parking spaces.

It has been estimated that if the grammar school’s plans were not accepted, around 900 children would be without a place at secondary school in the area by 2023.

Both schools have become overwhelmed following the unexpected closure of Hextable Oasis Academy in 2015.

Cllr Ann Allen, who represents the village at the parish council, borough council and county council says she is “enormously proud” of the schools in Wilmington.

She said: “I would like Wilmington to be shown as an example of the pressures that we’ve got.

“Dartford is under particular pressure because we are on the border with the London boroughs as we import students because we have popular schools and the London boroughs are under pressure and we are under pressure.

“I think it is important that we do try to retain the greenbelt as much as possible because we will never get it back but it’s important that we’ve got that amenities space on the school sites.

“It’s also important to retain the character of our village as well as that and make sure the facilities the schools do have are enhanced by the rural nature of where they are.”

She also added that she understands the concerns about traffic and is calling on “inconsiderate” parking by parents to be banned.

Chairman of the Kent County Council planning applications committee Cllr Alan Marsh (Con) said he hopes these application would show the secretary of state the problems the whole county faces regarding school places.

At the meeting last week (July 11), he said: “I really want the secretary of state to get this application landed on his desk because it’s the best chance we have got of effecting some change in the future.

“The thing I find obnoxious is that some, so-called, secretary of state should sit back and say ‘done, I’m happy’ and not be aware of the effort the officers and councillors have put into this plan for Dartford.

“It’s enormous, we have to congratulate them even if we don’t always get it dead right the first time.

“We have to try to make some sense of it because at the end of the day our children have to get the best education.”