An expansion is in the pipeline for Maldon’s secondary school after Essex County Council gave the go-ahead for extra buildings.

It is expected pupil numbers at Plume School will swell from 1,820 currently on roll to almost 2,400 if the 2,610 new homes earmarked for Maldon and Heybridge in Maldon District Council’s Local Development Plan (LDP) are built.

The school and county and district councils say its existing buildings, spread across two campuses, cannot accommodate the increase.

Essex County Council has carried out a site survey and feasibility study and a report recommended that both the Mill Road and Fambridge Road sites could be expanded.

Headteacher David Stephenson said: “It has been formally recognised that we can technically expand to cope with the influx of children, which is a fantastic opportunity for the school to grow and develop. We want to serve the community."

See this week's MBS for the full story.