PLANS have been agreed in principle for a new primary school in Thirsk.

North Yorkshire County Council has agreed the plans for a school to meet the demand for additional places from the Sowerby Gateway housing development.

Current demand for primary school places in the area is met by Sowerby Community Primary School and the county council is working with the school to plan for additional capacity in the shorter term by improving the quality of its buildings.

But as the Sowerby Gateway development progresses, it is envisaged that a new school would be needed from September 2018, subject to the speed of occupation of new housing.

Nationally, all newly-built schools must be academies, so the county council has therefore taken the decision to secure an academy sponsor for Sowerby Gateway and to develop a capital scheme to deliver the new school.