The primary school place crisis in Lambeth has been eased by a £9m Government grant, but concerns remain about whether the cash injection will be enough to plug a gap in school place provision in the borough.
The funding announced last week - part of a £300m national package - will be used to expand the number of primary school places in the borough by 2011.
Its looks set to be channelled into Streatham and West Norwood where there is the biggest squeeze on primary school provision.
But critics have raised questions about whether it will be sufficient to help Lambeth Council meet its ambitious expansion programme.
Earlier this year the council identified it needed an extra £16.2m of funding by 2012 to ensure it can go ahead with the programme to deliver nine new school classes for an estimated 270 pupils.
A report stated the proposed programme, including new schools in Streatham and West Norwood, would be put in jeopardy without the funding.
Opposition Lib Dem spokesperson on children and schools, Councillor Roger Giess, said the council had got itself into trouble by not budgeting enough cash from its own funds because it was hoping for a bigger Government grant.
He added: “Now the Government has allocated so little for Lambeth children we face a real crisis. We need Lambeth Council to stop just talking about pie-in-the-sky proposals and to show where the money is coming from to deliver them."
Council leader Steve Reed said: “With demand for places growing faster than anyone predicted, this new money will help create the permanent places that Lambeth’s young children need.
This is great news for families right across Lambeth and it’s only happened because we have a Labour council working with a Labour Government to bring in the investment we need.”
Lambeth’s cabinet member for children and young people, Councillor Paul McGlone, called it a “fantastic result” and said the council would now be talking to parents and schools to make sure the additional places are created where there is greatest need.
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