WHILE Lewisham struggles to cope with a surge in demand for primary places, plans are afoot to “bulldoze” one of its schools.

In 2007, Our Lady of Lourdes primary school in Belmont Hill, Blackheath was closed and relocated to St Matthew’s Academy.

Now a planning application has been submitted by the Archdiocese of Southwark to knock it down and build nine five-bedroom houses on the site.

Leader of Lewisham Lib Dems Councillor Chris Maines has questioned why the school cannot be used to address the borough’s chronic shortage of primary school places.

He said: “Why bulldoze an primary school when there is a crisis in school places?”

Lewisham Council is consulting on options to cope with an increase in the birth rate, including housing extra classes in modular buildings and creating all-age schools. But it does not include the empty school in Blackheath.

Cllr Maines said: “The mayor ignored Our Lady of Lourdes school, which has been empty for two years. It appears to be in a reasonable condition and far cheaper to re-open than the building of places elsewhere.

“The plans for extra classes will disrupt many local schools on overcrowded sites. Reopening Our Lady of Lourdes would provide more choice and flexibility.”

A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Southwark said: “If somebody wanted to make an offer for it for a school then we would listen.”

But he added: “As a charity we’re advised to get best value for any sort of sale.”

A Lewisham Council spokesman said: "We have considered the option of using the site of the former Our Lady of Lourdes primary school as part of our strategy to deal with the shortage of primary places in the borough.

"However, this cannot be taken forward presently as the land is owned by the Archdiocese and is currently subject to a planning decision.

“However Lewisham is considering a number of alternative options to increase permanently the number of school places from September 2012 and the mayor has agreed that feasibility studies and consultations should go ahead on these.”