A major expansion of school provision across Ascot is one step nearer reality.

Members of the Royal Borough's ruling cabinet agreed on Thursday to begin a full public consultation next month on a range of possible options.

These include opening a free school on a new, unidentified site. There are also plans to possibly expand numbers at Cheapside CE Primary School from 16 to 30 places per year group, at South Ascot Village School from 30 to 60 places per year group or Holy Trinity CE Primary School from 30 to 60.

The borough believes that one of the options will have to be undertaken within the next 10 years.

Residents' views could prove the deciding factor on which option wins out.

At last Thursday's meeting of the Royal Borough's ruling cabinet members, Cllr Christine Bateson - who represents Sunningdale - said that Ascot faced a possible housing build of as much as 1,600 by 2030, which would inevitably lead to greater demand for school places.

She said it was often forgotten that the Ascot area accounted for more than half of the southern side of the Royal Borough.

She said: "People think we are quite a small area but we are not."

Cllr Carwyn Cox, lead member for environmental services on the cabinet said: "This may be a problem but it is a good problem. It means people want to move to Ascot and raise their children."

The cabinet expects to consider the result of the consultation on August 25.