A primary school in Long Ashton could be extended to solve the lack of school places for children in the village.

North Somerset Council education officials have instructed consultants to draw up options for the extension and refurbishment of Birdwell Primary School.

The move comes after shocked parents applied for places at the two village schools – Northleaze and Birdwell primaries last year – only to be told there was not enough room for their children.

In 2008, 23 four year olds from Long Ashton failed to get a place at either village school and now have to go to class in either in Nailsea, Backwell or Pill.

This year, 14 children were unable to secure a place at either school for September and will have to be educated outside their village.

The projected figures for 2010 estimate between 20 and 25 students will be unable to get a place at either Northleaze or Birdwell primaries.

Parents, who set up the Long Ashton Schools Crisis Group (LASCG), have been lobbying education chiefs for months and have handed over a 1,200-name petition to the authority pressing it to resolve the problem.

In the past there had been talk about putting temporary classrooms at both schools, but this idea has been dropped.

North Somerset Council executive member for children and young people councillor Jeremy Blatchford said: "We have consultants working up a series of design options and these include extending and refurbishing Birdwell Primary School to provide the extra spaces which are needed.

"There was consideration given at one point to replacing Birdwell Primary but this would cost around £8 million and it is money that the authority does not have.

"Instead, we are looking at the option of extension and refurbishment and are consulting on these with the school.

"It is highly unlikely it will be done in time for the new school year in September."

The extension plans have been given a cautious welcome by parents.

LASCG spokesman Guy Kingston said: "We are glad that something is happening and the council is finally responding to the concerns of the parents of Long Ashton.

"However, there have been a lot of false starts in the past and appointing consultants is a long way away from a solution.

"The council may be looking at the long-term plan, but it is still failing to address the short-term issue of lack of school places for children in the village."

For more details, see www.lascg.org.uk.