COUNCIL bosses in North Yorkshire could have a £7 million black hole in budgets to pay for more than 3,000 extra places needed in primary schools across the county.

Much of the extra need is being created by large-scale new housing developments and major changes at Army bases.

At Catterick and Dishforth alone a further 800 places are needed as the Ministry of Defence brings back hundreds of soldiers and staff from overseas.

The new North Northallerton development and the Sowerby Gateway housing scheme near Thirsk will also see hundreds more homes with increased demand for places and potential new schools.

North Yorkshire County Council is set to spend more than £58 million up to 2019/20 on extending schools as well as building and planning new ones with much of the cash coming from the Government.

But Suzanne Firth, strategic planning officer, told members of the executive committee there are major challenges and a predicted budgetary shortfall of £6.8 million.

“The programme remains volatile with a need to keep pupil forecasts under continuous review.

"New priorities are emerging as applications for further housing come forward. Other factors such as the major rebasing of armed service personnel are having a significant impact on place planning,” she said. “Officers have worked closely with the MoD to attempt to map the scale and timing of the impact but it has proved challenging to identify where families and their children will be housed in sufficient time to plan for an expansion of places."

She said the return of staff from abroad last year had virtually eradicated all surplus places, with 240 more children in primary schools in the area in September 2015 compared to July.

Delays in housing developments are also causing planning problems, and government estimates of how much new places cost to create were £11,569 whereas the actual costs on new build per place could be up to £20,000.

Cllr Gareth Dadd said: "We have a moral responsibility to our children in North Yorkshire but what the implications going to be on our capital?”

Mrs Firth said they were seeking contributions from developers, and the Ministry of Defence, as well as discussing contributions from the new Community Infrastructure Levy with district councils.

Cllr Claire Wood said: "We want to see new houses and schools, but we have to look at the capital budget and keep control.”

Councillors agreed to underwrite the potential shortfall while pursuing contributions towards extra costs.