A PUBLIC consultation into a new four-to-16 school in Southampton begins this week.

You will have your chance to see plans for the £31.86m school – which could be built on the existing St Mark’s Primary School site in Shirley.

The new school would be for 900 pupils – in a bid to fill the gap for 1,500 secondary places which education bosses say will be needed in Southampton by 2020. 

But Shirley campaigners say they want to make sure the public still has access to the eight acre site at the back of the school, known as the ex-civil service playing fields. 

Friends of the Field group have campaigned for more public access on the field.

But education chiefs say the field will be kept as a “vital shared facility for the school and the local community.”

And they say the new school will give parents more choice on school places, in the centre of Southampton where they are most needed.

If plans are agreed, the school will open in September 2022.

The proposals also include provision for on-site parking, a cycle route along Shirley Road, a new pedestrian crossing and pedestrian and vehicle access to the new all-through school.

City education chief, Councillor Darren Paffey, said: “These proposed plans represent an exciting new chapter for education in Southampton. 

“Being able to offer an all-through school on the St Mark’s site will be a valuable step in assuring the availability of high-quality secondary school places for our children. We welcome your views on how we can achieve this together.”

The public consultation runs until January 18, 2019. 

There are four open events arranged at St Mark’s on November 23 from 10am to 2.30pm, November 28 from 2.30pm to 7pm, December 5 from 2.30pm to 7pm and January 9 from 1pm to 5pm. 

After the public consultation bosses say a statutory consultation will run  from January 21 to February 18, 2019, with a formal decision made by Southampton City Council Cabinet in March 2019.

If the proposals are agreed Southampton City Council will remain the admissions authority for the all-through school.

As reported the new school is part of a city wide plan which includes expanding two other schools to accommodate 600 more school places. 

The whole scheme is set to cost £48.86 million.