Councillors have debated bidding for a new specialist free school in Greenwich to deal with increasing pressure for pupil places.

It’s estimated there will need to be about 200 more special needs places available for pupils by 2022.

The council’s top team met to discuss plans to deal with growing pressure for school places in the borough.

The area with the biggest predicted increase is pupils with high needs.

Council leader Dan Thorpe and the cabinet agreed to a U-turn on the planned expansion of Boxgrove Primary School in Abbey Wood, which was first touted in 2013, and to use the funds for that to instead increase provisions for SEND (special educational needs) pupils there.

The council also considered bidding to the Department of Education to build a new special educational free school.

Similar to an academy, a free school is a non-profit-making, independent, state-funded school which is not wholly controlled by a local authority, meaning they have greater control over how they operate

The council does not have enough capital funding to commission a new free school, so school places are dependent on expansions or free schools approved by the Government.

Greenwich councillors have spoken out previously against turning schools into academies in light of the situation with The John Roan.

Councillor Dan Thorpe said: “There’s been some concern expressed today, and one of the things we have to do is explain to people how we are delivering the school places at a time when the ability of the council to create the schools we want to create is severely restricted.”

David Gardner, cabinet member for education, said demand has to be met through free schools and academies, despite the council’s opposition.

“A number of heads have said to me that students they have need to be in special schools but there are not the places for them,” Cllr Gardner said.

“What this sets up is how we can enhance and improve the excellent special schools to increase facilities available, and identifies this demand for a new school.”

A decision on bidding for a new specialist free school was deferred until later this year in order for “wider discussion.”

Meanwhile, plans to increase capacity at the existing Greenwich Free School were approved to manage the increasing demand for Year 7 places.

Cllr Gardner said the expansion for 60 extra places was already embedded into previous cabinet decisions.

He went on: “These are not our decisions. We take them very reluctantly, these are Department of Education decisions to approve those free schools, we would rather they didn’t have to approve any free schools – we don’t agree with free schools.

“Sadly now a lot of the increased demand is going to have to come through free schools and academias which we would rather not be the case.”

Proposals will be subject to consultation with residents.