A former Merton Council cabinet member for education has questioned the location for a new secondary school after Merton Council confirmed it would be built in south Wimbledon rather than Mitcham or Morden.

Although the exact location of the new school, which will be run by the Harris Federation and called Harris Academy Wimbledon, has not yet been confirmed, it is believed it will be in private land off Merantun Way.

From Friday: Confirmed: New secondary school will be built in south Wimbledon

The Harris Federation already runs the free schools Harris Academy Merton and Harris Academy Morden.

The new school is expected to open in September 2019, with the possibility of a temporary school for 360 pupils in years 7 and 8 opening at the former Merton Adult Education Centre site in Whatley Avenue, Wimbledon, in September 2018.

March 16: Adult education to move out of Whatley Avenue in Raynes Park from September

However, former Labour councillor Peter Walker, who served as cabinet member for education from 2010 until 2012, has strongly criticised the council’s decision to place a school in Wimbledon, where there are already five secondary schools, rather than Mitcham or Morden where there are only three.

Mr Walker said: “The reason it’s being put there is that Harris have already got a school in Mitcham and in Morden, and they wanted one in Wimbledon. Harris has decided where it’s going.

“It’s in the wrong place. The children who need school places are in Mitcham and Morden, not Wimbledon.

“The temporary school will be third rate, and once again it’s in the wrong place. It’s basically a stone’s throw from Rutlish School. It’s ridiculous.”

However, Merton Council have disputed Mr Walker’s claims, and insist there is more demand for a school in Wimbledon as the existing schools in Mitcham and Morden are easier to expand.

Cabinet member for finance, Councillor Mark Allison, said: “Merton has some of the fastest improving GCSE results in the country. All our secondary schools are rated outstanding or good.

“Our schools are becoming ever more popular, so we are expanding our best schools in Mitcham and providing places in the south Wimbledon and Colliers Wood area of the borough where there is the greatest need with a proven excellent provider.”

A spokeswoman for the council added the Harris Federation were experienced at opening schools in temporary locations, and had visited the Whatley Avenue site and were satisfied they could provide good quality education in the temporary site before a “seamless transition” into the new school.

Chief executive of the Harris Federation, Sir Dan Moynihan, said: “Our two secondary academies to the south and east of the borough are rated ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, and they regularly receive in the region of six applications per place.

Wimbledon Times:

The Harris Federation already runs Harris Academy Merton in Mitcham (pictured) and Harris Academy Morden

"The new Harris Academy Wimbledon will provide much needed co-educational secondary places and give local parents a new and highly aspirational choice of school for their sons and daughters.

“Wimbledon families originally asked for the new school and we are pleased that our plans are finally coming to fruition.”

In 2013, Merton Council commissioned the architectural consultants Capita Property and Infrastructure (formerly Capita Symonds) to identify possible locations for a new secondary school across the borough.

The report, dated July 2013, warned that there would be a deficit in the number of school places available for year 7 students from September 2015, and that this would continue to grow rapidly until at least September 2023. It identified Colliers Wood and north Mitcham as the area most in need of a new school.

Capita Property and Infrastructure analysed sites already owned by Merton which could be developed, arguing that they had a better chance of being delivered than a privately owned site, and recommended four possible locations for the new school: Worsfold House council and care buildings in Church Road, Mitcham, the Adult Education Centre in Whatley Avenue, the Chaucer Centre in Canterbury Road, Morden and the Canons Leisure Centre in Madeira Road, Mitcham.

The report also identified the Nelson Trading Estate and Merton Industrial Park in south Wimbledon, as well as Chelsea Fields Industrial Estate in Colliers Wood, as having potential, but argued they were not suitable as “they are all multi-let/owned sites, which is likely to make site assembly costly and time consuming.” However, it added it was worth monitoring the estates in case a “suitable opportunity presents itself.”

Wimbledon Times:

Could the new school be built on the Nelson Trading Estate?

The council has selected a private site in south Wimbledon for the school, and is currently working to purchase the land. A spokeswoman for Merton Council said detailed work was undertaken on all the sites recommended in the report but they were too small for a 1,050 place secondary school or would involve moving other schools, and so the council had to consider sites not owned by the local authority.

However, Mr Walker also condemned the decision to buy private land to build the new school, saying: “Public money is being spent buying up private land – private land which is especially expensive in Wimbledon – when we have local authority schools and buildings that aren’t being used.

“It’s in the wrong place, it won’t open for three years and it’s expensive. Are they really going to say they’re a ‘business-like’ council yet again? This is the most un-business-like decision this council has ever made.”

Cabinet member for education, Councillor Caroline Cooper-Marbiah said: “Merton has got some great schools that have really improved in the past few years, and demand for places is rising. After creating over 4,000 extra primary places we now need to ensure we have enough secondary school places.

"We are a business-like council, so any purchase of land to help us deliver the space for secondary school students will offer value for money, but more importantly it will offer local children the chance to get a great Merton education from five all the way through to 18.”

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