A proposal to bus children as young as four to another village for schooling has caused controversy.

A statement, produced by councils and developers on schooling, sets out how Southminster Primary School could be used to accommodate an overflow of pupils generated by 450 new homes in Burnham.

The new homes have been proposed as part of Maldon District Council’s Local Development Plan (LDP), which sets out how the district should grow between 2014 to 2029.

Southminster Primary School is three miles away from the proposed housing sites in Burnham and all Burnham children would be entitled to free home to school transport for the duration of their primary education should they have to go to Southminster.

Burnham mayor Ron Pratt said: “Developers are saying there is capacity within the schools if you join Southminster to Burnham.

“In their opinion it’s perfectly ok to bus four-year-old children from one town to another.

“For me, it’s totally inappropriate and something I would never support."