PLANS to expand a temporary school amid fury from campaigners as the site for its permanent base rumbles on have been earmarked for approval.

The Heights Free School currently operates from Gosbrook Road. Plans are in place for the school to be permanently based in Mapledurham Playing Fields.

Campaigners slammed the application and demanded the playing field land be kept for community use.

The proposals to move the school have not yet been finalised, so Reading Borough Council submitted a planning application to expand the existing site.

Councillors will meet on Wednesday, May 30, and have been advised to accept the plans.

A report reads: "This application in part seeks that the temporary location for The Heights (free) School be extended to August 2020 whilst the permanent site is progressed.

"In order to continue to use the temporary site, the accommodation will need to be expanded again as the school continues to grow annually by 50 school places a year towards its full capacity of 325 pupils (which will eventually be almost the capacity of the new two-form entry primary school on the permanent site).

"The application is being submitted by the Council as Local Education Authority on behalf of The Heights Primary School Trust and is therefore being reported to your meeting.

"Given the overall site area involved, the application site is also technically a Major application."

Reading Borough Council has already approved plans for the school to be built at Mapledurham Playing Fields.

The authority, as trustees of the land, will now decide whether or not to use the site.

An overwhelming majority of residents voted in favour of Mapledurham being the preferred site.