A school in Burnham is set for expansion following outcry from parents whose children were allocated secondary school places outside of the district earlier this year.

Essex County Council has been granted permission to build a new standalone teaching block at Ormiston Rivers Academy, on Southminster Road, so the school can admit more students.

Ormiston Rivers and William de Ferrers School agreed to offer additional places for local children this September who had been allocated schools as far as away as Brightlingsea and Rochford, following outcry from parents.

At the time, a spokesperson for the county council said: "We are fully aware of the level of new housing development in the area and the impact this will have on school places. Plans are already underway to increase school capacity in the area for future years."

A spokesperson for Ormiston Rivers said it hoped to "increase the number of students per year from 180 to 210".

Planning officers at Maldon District Council have now granted the county council a certificate of lawfulness to build the teaching block at the school, saying the new building will "result in an increase in the school's published admission".

The plans involve demolishing the single-storey building to the east of the site and building a new single-storey teaching block.

The block is set to consist of five classrooms, a group room, a multi-use games area and toilets.

There will be new paths to link the building with the main school, alongside 10 parking spaces and a cycle rack for 50 bicycles.

Work will now be carried out to build the new block, which may be completed ahead of the next academic year.