'Unprecedented demand' is driving Thurrock Council to invest £2.5 million in extra primary school places.

The investment in South Ockendon comes after the council's annual review, which noticed a surge in 'in-year' admissions in the west of the borough.

The first five months of 2015 alone saw 199 children move to Thurrock from abroad and 493 from within the UK.

A report to council explained 209 children moved to Thurrock from outside the UK during the whole of 2013/14, and 590 came from within the country.

The £2.5 million will largely be invested in expanding the Somers Heath school, providing extra classrooms and an additional 210 pupil places.

Councillor John Kent said: “The demand does not appear to be slowing, and this level of demand has not been seen before.

"To be in a position to accommodate this demand, we are building in an additional seven per cent of surplus places on top of the forecasts.”

Earlier this year, as part of the agreement to relocate the Pupil Support Service from Ockendon to a new building on the former Jack Lobley School site in Tilbury, the council agreed the former Knightsmead School should be declared surplus.

On Wednesday (24 June) the council unanimously agreed to revisit that decision and, instead, to invest in the Fortin Close site.

Speaking after the meeting, Council Leader and portfolio holder for education, Cllr John Kent, said: “I was really pleased council agreed this extra capital spending.

“We’re looking at re-commissioning the old Knightsmead site - a previous special school - and creating a link building to expand Somers Heath school, providing extra classrooms and an additional 210 pupil places."

"The council agreed a multi-disciplinary team providing specialist services needs to be brought in to oversee the re-commissioning.

This was agreed when Cllr Kent introduced the School Capital Programme Update which also explained how the demand for pupil places increased significantly across the borough in recent months, including a “large increase in ‘in term’ admissions from families” moving to the area.