New £8m classrooms will provide about 200 urgently needed primary school places.

Sutton Council’s executive approved plans to build seven new primary school classrooms to help cope with the borough’s rapidly rising birth rate – it was estimated about 200 children would not have a place by 2011.

But the council was forced to use cash set aside for improvements to existing school buildings after missing out on Government funding to help meet the shortfall in places. This budget had not been allocated to specific projects but would have been used for new items like tables and chairs.

A new classroom will open at Hackbridge Primary in September 2010 and a further seven classrooms will be constructed at other schools across the borough by September 2011.

A consultation will determine where the other new classrooms will be built, however, the council is looking at Barrow Hedges Primary, Beddington Park Primary, Cheam Common Infant and Cheam Common Junior, Devonshire Primary, Hackbridge Primary and Muschamp Primary. All will be permanent purpose-built teaching facilities creating reception places for children starting their education in Sutton.

Executive member for children, young people and learning Councillor Tony Brett Young said: “The escalating rocketing birth rate has placed huge pressure on Sutton’s primary schools in recent years and this is set to grow in the years ahead. It’s hugely disappointing the Government failed to help despite granting millions of pounds of funding to other London boroughs.

“Sutton has some of the best performing schools in the country. More parents are choosing to send their children to local schools with fewer going out of borough and to the independent sector, especially since the recession.”

School governors were told to reconsider a rule change that would leave 15 children without places.

An admissions forum meeting advised governors at Cheam Park Farm Junior School reconsider a rule change which means 90 places would be available in September instead of 105.

About 30 mums and dads protested outside Sutton Council’s civic offices ahead of the meeting and more than 100 parents met Liberal Democrat MP Paul Burstow and Conservative parliamentary candidate Philippa Stroud to discuss the issue.

Parents started the Cheam Park Farm 105 campaign to reinstate 15 places and more than 100 people backed the campaign on Facebook. A petition signed by 325 people was handed into the council’s executive meeting on Tuesday. Governors are expected to make a decision in the next month.