THE borough is set to benefit from a multi-million pound government fund to create hundreds of primary school places. In addition to the �270m for nine secondary schools and Trinity special school which were promised in July this year, Barking and Dagenha

THE borough is set to benefit from a multi-million pound government fund to create hundreds of primary school places.

In addition to the �270m for nine secondary schools and Trinity special school which were promised in July this year, Barking and Dagenham council will receive another �18,388m for the creation of permanent new class rooms, it was announced on Monday (November 30).

This is the highest single amount any London borough will receive as part of a nationwide �300m fund.

The money will be used to create primary school places in areas where an explosion in birth rates have led to a massive short fall in places.

A total of �300m will be spread across local authorities in the country, �143m of which will go to 16 London boroughs.

However, the lobby group for London Councils said that this would still leave 12 of the capital's borough's which need more places without any funding.

The group estimates that �880m are needed to meet a shortfall of 50,710 places in London over the next seven years.

London Councils Executive Member for Children and Young People, Cllr Nick Stanton, said: "While we are delighted for the boroughs who have won a share of this funding, this crisis is by no means over - we have waited over five months for the details of this funding and in that time the situation has become far worse.

"We need the government to accept how extreme this crisis is in the capital and provide us with a far greater slice of funding."

Cllr Rocky Gill, cabinet member for Education and Children's Wellbeing, said: "This is fantastic news that we have received �18.3 million to help with the demand for primary school places.

"We have experienced primary school capacity issues and the funding will help to provide more places and help children in the borough secure a place at primary school.

"I'd like to thank MP Jon Cruddas for his hard work on the campaign.