SEVEN new primary schools and two secondary schools could be built to ensure the town copes with its educational demands in the next 20 years.

The local plan ‘preferred development option’ (PDO) requires the need for new and expanded education, health, recreation and community facilities.

It 'provides the opportunity' to improve the quality of facilities for existing, as well as future, residents.

The town centre and inner parts of Warrington continue to be the 'main development focus'.

The city centre will deliver around 3,500 homes in its core, 200,000 sq m of new business floor space and a range of improved shopping and leisure opportunities.

This will be supported by improved public realm, accessibility, road and public transport connections.

The waterfront is identified as a 'major development opportunity' to deliver around 4,000 new homes, one new secondary school, one primary school and country park.

The south eastern extension of Warrington will create a new garden city suburb, providing the potential development of around 7,000 new homes – including 950 outside the green belt – over the full 20 years of the plan.

The suburb would be focused on local garden neighbourhoods centred around a new district centre and a new country park.

The neighbourhoods would provide up to four new primary schools and community facilities, with the district centre providing one new secondary school, shops, health, sports and recreation facilities.

Walking, cycling and public transport linkages would connect these neighbourhoods to their local and district centres – and to the rest of Warrington.

The council has prepared a detailed development concept, which assesses the capacity of the area – and the required infrastructure – including the roads that would need to be in place before any green belt land is released.

The south west urban extension will provide an urban extension of around 1,800 homes based around one new primary school and local centre, with the form of development dependent on the final location of the western link.

Since the publication of the council's latest infrastructure delivery plan, the authority has confirmed the need for a new primary school to be provided as part of the Peel Hall site in the 'wider urban area', if development takes place, along with 'major transport improvements'.

Therefore, new builds could pave the way for seven new primary schools and two secondary schools.

In order to deliver the anticipated level of development and meet educational demand it would also be necessary to expand existing primary schools in Lymm, Culcheth and Burtonwood.

The council's executive board is set to approve the town's local plan PDO on Monday.