UP to 23 new schools are likely to have to be built in Hampshire over the next ten years to help cope with rapidly rising numbers of children in the county.

Council chiefs are set to launch a consultation on how it plans to ensure there are enough school places to deal with rising birth rates and more people moving to the region.

WHERE WOULD THE NEW SCHOOLS BE?

• North Fareham strategic development area: Three or four primary schools and one secondary

• Hedge End: Two or three primary schools

• Whiteley north: Two primary schools and one secondary

• Winchester north: One primary school

• The other schools will be built in Aldershot, Andover, Basingstoke, Waterlooville and Whitehill/Bordon

It comes as Southampton City Council is already in the middle of its own major scheme to add 3,000 new places at 20 primary schools around the city in a bid to avoid a crisis where children are unable to go to school because they are all bursting at the seams.

Some are increasing the number of classes they have, while some infant and junior schools are becoming primaries to take youngsters through from four to 11 years.

Hampshire County Council is now trying to predict demand for school places between now and 2015.

The county’s education boss, Councillor Roy Perry, was today deciding on the final contents of a draft plan, in which officers predict two new secondaries and up to 21 new primaries will have to be built across Hampshire in the next decade.

It is not yet known how much the schemes could cost.

Cllr Perry said: “The county council is committed to providing children and young people with equal access to excellent learning opportunities, regardless of where in the county they live.

“This means we have to work closely with district and borough councils and other planning authorities to take account of planned housing development, thus helping us to determine an appropriate pattern of provision to meet future needs for school places and to secure the necessary funding to deliver those places.”

If the draft plan is approved, a consultation involving schools, district and borough councils, neighbouring authorities and other interested parties will run until the end of March, after which a final set of proposals will be devised.

AT A GLANCE: AROUND THE BOROUGHS

• Eastleigh
Current number of schools: 31 primary, seven secondary, one special

Spare reception places in 2011/12: 0 Reception class spaces are already stretched in the borough, with two major housing developments – at South Street, Eastleigh, and Dowd’s Farm in Hedge End – that will add more than 1,000 new homes already being built.

Additional primary school capacity is needed in Eastleigh, Hedge End and West End simply to cope with existing numbers of children, which is likely to be provided by expanding existing schools.

• Fareham
Current number of schools: 30 primary, six secondary, four special

Spare reception places in 2011/12: 150

Places are in short supply in several areas, especially the Western Wards and Whiteley, because of the number of new homes being built.

It is hoped extra spaces at existing schools will help cope with demand from those developments, while up to 7,500 new houses anticipated for the strategic development area to the north of the town will require up to four new primary schools and a secondary.

• New Forest
Current number of schools: 55 primary, nine secondary, two special

Spare reception places in 2011/12: 108

Pressure on places is likely to develop in New Milton and Ringwood, although demand across the district matches the number of spaces available.

• Test Valley
Current number of schools: 49 primary, six secondary, four special

Spare reception places in 2011/12: 45

Reception places in Romsey are already in short supply, although extension of the Cupernham schools should alleviate problems in the town.

• Winchester
Current number of schools: 39 primary, five secondary, two special

Spare reception places in 2011/12: 7

Some schools have already had to expand capacity to cope with the numbers of children, but additional capacity will be needed to meet future demand, especially in the city itself.

Development at North Whiteley will require two new primary schools and a secondary, which could give an opportunity to address existing shortfalls in the town.