Slough Town Hall 'could become primary school'

A town hall could be converted into a primary school to tackle a shortage of school places in a Berkshire town.

Slough Borough Council already has plans to expand six schools and is considering refurbishing the town hall building in Bath Road.

The council said it had secured £7.4m in government funding to add temporary classrooms to schools in the borough before September 2011.

The plan to convert the town hall will be the subject of a feasibility study.

The council's cabinet approved an action plan which aims to increase school places between 2011 and 2013.

The action plan said there had been an "unprecedented increase" in demand for school places since 2009.

The temporary classrooms will provide an additional 630 primary school places needed for 2011.

The council has earmarked £1m to carry out a costing and feasibility study for the town hall project, which could provide a further 630 places.

Campaigners have been fighting to save the town hall, which dates back to 1937.

An attempt to get it listed failed in February when culture chiefs said it was of insufficient architectural or historic interest.

The council is due to demolish a 1970s extension to the building later this year.