CONCERNS have been raised Canvey’s schools could be struggling to cope with an expanding caravan park.

Lee Stone, 40, unsuccessfully appealed Essex County Council’s decision not to allocate his son a place at Canvey Infant School, despite the four-year-old attending Hawkesbury Nursery on the site.

He believes Thorney Bay Caravan Park, which has seen the number of caravans increase by 1,000 over the past decade, could be causing a strain on the number of available school places.

Mr Stone said: “I understand from our recent appeal meeting that the education authority has been actively visiting Thorney Bay to actively encourage and ensure that all children apply and register for local school places.

“This has resulted in oversubscription to schools in the vicinity with admissions priority given to those claiming ‘permanent’ residency at Thorney Bay.

“I am all for every child receiving an education, but when I see that long-term local families are now unable to send their children to the school of their choice it begs some serious questions.”

Essex County Council said it had a duty to ensure every child living in Essex receives an education.

Spokesman Michael Page said: “Applications for school places received for children at Thorney Bay Caravan Park are assessed in the same way as any other application.

“When schools receive more applications than places available, places are allocated to children living the shortest distance from the school. Essex County Council makes every effort to allocate parents a place at one of the primary schools they state as a preference on their application form.”

Canvey Infants School, Canvey Junior School and William Read Primary School are the closest schools to Thorney Bay Caravan Park and are all rated good by Ofsted.

Last year the Echo reported how all three schools had pleaded with Essex County Council for more cash to cover the cost of free school meals.

The increase in pupils from low income families, many of whom live at Thorney Bay, meant the schools were providing more free school meals than they had been prepared for.

The site has a licence to open all year round, but the properties are not currently liable for council tax.