THE mayor of Melksham is backing a call for a new secondary school in the town to cope with the growth in new homes.

Cllr Jon Hubbard says Melksham needs a new school not an extension to the existing Melksham Oak Community School.

The school has outlined plans for a extension to take in another 240 pupils as it struggles to meet the demand for places.

The town is expected to see a further 2,045 new homes being built to meet growth under the new Wiltshire Local Plan which is expected to be confirmed next year.

But Cllr Hubbard says a new secondary school should be built now, adding: "Expanding Melksham Oak is not a strategic move, it is a knee-jerk reaction.

"The proposed expansion of Melksham Oak is only dealing with the pressure we currently have, not what is to come.

"We need to build a new secondary school now so that we have a suitable infrastructure ready and in place for any new homes coming to the town."