WORK is under way to draw up plans on how Maldon’s Plume Academy can be expanded to cope with hundreds of homes earmarked for the district.

Earlier this month, the Standard reported how talks had begun over the development of Primrose Meadow in Mundon Road, Maldon.

Plans to build homes on the open space first emerged during consultation over Maldon District Council’s Local Development Plan in 2014.

The land is part-owned by Plume and Essex County Council.

Plume will need to expand in order to accommodate the 310 homes a year earmarked for the district, but the school has said it is “confident” that it can cope with the expected increase in pupils.

In a statement, Plume said growth would be needed in the “mid to long term” and the school had already commissioned a feasibility study to ensure both the Fambridge Road and Mill Road campuses can manage increased pupil numbers.

Richard Scott, director of finance and premises at the school, said: “Primrose Meadow does have a potential role to play in this expansion.

“Whilst the majority of any school expansion will be paid for by the housing developers as part of their responsibilities, their funding alone won’t give the academy the facilities that are desired in order to provide the outstanding facilities that the Plume trustees strive to offer all students.”

Mr Scott said at present there was no buyer for the site and the land was not on the market.

He added: “If appropriate, the intention from the Plume trustees would be to allow the land to be sold under the constraints of the current LDP requirements, which would still require a large area of public open space to remain available.

“By releasing Primrose Meadow to the market it would provide the ability for the Academy to reinvest the money into long-term sustainable buildings and projects that would continue to support and develop future generations of students from the town and surrounding areas of Maldon.”