MORE than 500 children in the district could find themselves without a place at a secondary school within five years as a growing population piles on the pressure.

Projected figures from Bradford Council suggest there will be a shortfall of 504 places for pupils starting in year seven in 2019/20.

In the Three Valleys area – which includes Oakbank, Parkside, Holy Family and University Academy Keighley – the estimated shortfall is 69.

The district’s councillor in charge of education said the system was under pressure and he was lobbying the Government for more money.

But the Department for Education says it has already given £69 million to spend on new places over four years.

Councillor Ralph Berry, the council’s portfolio holder for children and young people’s services, said: “I am concerned about this.

“We have to expand, but we are not being offered the money to build new schools.

“We want to get back to properly planning, borrowing money and building schools where they are needed.”