School places are to be reviewed

More than 70 schools in Gloucestershire are to be reviewed as the council attempts to deal with an excess of 5,000 school places.

The Local Education Authority (LEA) claims the spare spaces are being caused by a falling birth rate.

In Gloucester alone 19 schools are to be scrutinised.

In nearby Cheltenham, the suburbs around Hesters Way and Swindon Road are to be reviewed by the LEA - a total of 12 schools.

In the Forest of Dean the review will focus on 10 schools in the Lydbrook, Cinderford Mitcheldean area.

Empty places

In the Cotswolds, the review will focus on nine schools in the Fairford area and another four around Stow.

Tewkesbury and Stroud are the least affected with just six schools around Stonehouse and five around Winchcombe.

But Stroud has many empty secondary places where pupils are served by Katherine Lady Berkeley, Rednock and Berkeley Vale schools.

The other secondary school hot spot is the Forest of Dean where all are up for review, except for Newent in the north.