Bristol MPs lobby minister over school place shortages

Council representatives in Bristol have met schools minister Nick Gibb to discuss the shortage of primary school places in the city.

Bristol City Council says there will be an extra 3,000 children in primary schools by 2015 and with planned housing, this could increase to 5,000.

It is calling on the government for more funding to help meet the demand.

Councillor Clare Campion-Smith described the meeting as "useful and positive".

The cabinet member for children and young people was joined in the discussion with Mr Gibb by Bristol MPs Stephen Williams, Kerry McCarthy, Dawn Primarolo and Charlotte Leslie.

She said: "Bristol families deserve to know that their young children stand a good chance of being offered a primary school near to where they live.

"We were able to stress the rapid rate of change of the school population in Bristol and how important it is for us to have better certainty about financial allocations to improve our ability to plan ahead."

In September, the leader of Bristol City Council Barbara Janke wrote to the Education Secretary Michael Gove, saying extra funding for primary school places in the city was "pivotal".