One of Helston’s primary schools is earmarked for expansion and a second could be considered – but the money has to be found first.

Cornwall Council has responded to questions following last week’s Packet report on how, according to a recent meeting of Helston Town Council, there are no school places left in the town for this coming September.

Mayor Gillian Geer said she was aware of a four-year-old girl who would have to take a bus journey and then walk the remainder of the way to the only available school in the area, at Trannack – and she feared this problem was only going to get worse with an influx of new houses.

These include the 450-home development for which work has begun to the north of the town at Rowe’s Lane, the 219 homes given permission for land between the May Tree and Gay’s Hill, and 75 affordable houses being built by Coastline Housing next to Bulwark Road.

To make matters worse, planning permission had actually been given for a fourth Helston primary school, back in 2004, as part of the Hellis Wartha housing development. However, the option of land was never taken up by the then Cornwall County Council, as the local education authority.

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council has now said it is not possible to look back at the reasons behind this decision, as the records held by its Education Access and Sufficiency team did not go as far as 2002.

She added: “However, in terms of future provision there are plans to expand St Michael’s Primary School, Helston, when the numbers dictate and funding is available, as the site is large enough to accommodate an extra form of entry (210 pupils).

“Nansloe Academy, Helston would also be considered for expansion to meet any additional demand generated by housing in the area.”

Documents on the council website show that planning permission was actually granted in 2015 for two new classrooms for older pupils at Nansloe Academy, which was described by the school’s planning consultants at the time as “under increasing pressure to accommodate the growing number of pupils on roll as a result of increasing local demand.”

It is not known if this work has been carried out.