WORK to provide an extra 59 special education places at the Dorchester Learning Centre will continue over the summer.

Dorset Council's Cabinet has approved, undisclosed, additional spending on the project to get the work done while the pupils are not on campus at Winterbourne Monkton, just to the south of Dorchester.

The agreement comes with an apology that the Cabinet request had been last-minute with an admission that the extra spending approval needed had 'fallen through the cracks'.

Education and children's services Portfolio Holder Cllr Clare Sutton told Tuesday evening's Cabinet that unless the spending could be agreed the work would have to wait another year, probably costing more.

She told council colleagues that the 'savings' from providing the places locally were immense – at a fraction of the £74,000 a year places typically cost when bought from the independent sector.

She said there would also be savings on transport costs for pupils which was better for the council, the pupils and their families.

Tory group leader Cllr Andrew Parry welcomed the additional SEND places but said he was surprised it had come as an urgent item to Cabinet for approval: "it seems like someone has dropped the ball in scheduling this," he said.

Cllr Sutton admitted that the approval for the spending had "slipped between the cracks" but had been properly tendered for and consulted on.

Planning applications for the school site in recent months have included a new specialist inclusion hub and changes to a number buildings on the site to make better use of the space.