A village primary school has been given the green light to expand to help it cope with an increase in demand for places.

Millfield Primary School, in Grange Lane, currently caters for 268 pupils but a steady increase in demand from parents resulted in plans to build an extension, which was approved this week by East Cambridgeshire District Council.

The extension will increase the school to a two-form intake and allow for a maximum capacity of 420 in time for September 2015.

The number of teachers and extra staff will also increase, from its current 26 up to 37 as four new classrooms are built.

The news was welcomed by Littleport Parish Council but councillors called on planners to ensure the parking situation in Grange Lane was improved as part of the work.

Planners for Cambridgeshire County Council said: “To accommodate the increase in pupil numbers it is intended to erect a new single storey extension to the rear of the existing school buildings on part of the soft landscape area to the north of the existing school building.

“This would include four classrooms, a staff room, a group room, a cloak room, caretaker and plant room, additional toilets and a link to the existing school building. “A new entrance canopy would also be provided to the front of the school. This would be open on all sides. The school currently has 10 classrooms and following the extension and refurbishment work there will be a total of 14 classrooms on site.”

Last year, the county council won planning permission to site a mobile classroom at the primary school to cater for the increase in pupils numbers, with permission set to run until August 2018.