An Oxfordshire secondary school is expanding to cope with the rising number of children moving into new housing in the area.

River Learning Trust has submitted a planning application for a new two-storey teaching building and extended sports changing room facilities at Marlborough School in Woodstock to meet the increasing demand from development in its catchment area.

Planning documents say it will allow the school to provide 1,050 places for 11-16 year olds with an additional 30 pupils per year group.

It said the new facilities would be required for use by the school at the beginning of the 2024 academic year.

The new two-storey building will contain six "state of the art" classrooms, an office and WCs.

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It will be to the west of the site meaning a number of car parking spaces will be removed and an existing single storey classroom will be demolished.

However, a new car park at the front of the site will replace these car spaces along with additional parking to meet the planned expansion.

Planning documents say the proposal also includes "a significant improvement of highway safety and access".

Currently there are three vehicle access points along the front of the main school.

It is proposed to reduce these to two to allow for increased coach parking within the school site "to improve pupil safety by providing coach pick up within the site and off the public road network".

At present coaches park along Shipton Road and this causes a highways obstruction, the documents state.

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The extension to the sports building will provide additional changing rooms following Sport England guidelines and area guidelines for schools.

The expansion proposals also include various internal alterations to the existing buildings that don't require planning consent.

The application says there has been a pre-consultation process with West Oxfordshire District Council that did not raise any significant or fundamental concerns.

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A design and access statement prepared by Thinking Buildings concludes: "The proposals seek to provide the essential accommodation required to meet the needs of the expanded roll to a 7 form of entry.

"It has been designed to minimise impacts on neighbouring residential properties whilst also creating a distinctive and contemporary image for the school that reflects that it is an educational building of today suitable for modern day teaching and learning."

Woodstock Town Council said while it has no comments to make on the details of the proposal it would like both the District and County Council to request the relevant S106 contributions "including but not limited to Woodstock Swimming Pool improvements and transport/public transport improvements".