PARENTS have been warned it might take years to create more school places in Headington after plans for a new school fell through.

Free school group Chapel St Community Schools Trust wanted to open Headington Community School by September 2018.

But on Wednesday – when 131 new free schools were announced – it was confirmed the trust had withdrawn the application.

Headington Neighbourhood Plan chairman Mike Ratcliffe said: “In Headington we have an issue about school places. There is a definite need.

“I do not know whether Chapel Street would have been the best people to offer the school but we need more places.

“Windmill Primary and St Andrew’s Primary are oversubscribed,

“We see more young families moving into Headington all the time and they want to have the ability to have a bit of choice with schools.”

Chapel St, which has a Christian ethos, already runs seven schools across the country including Tyndale Community School in William Morris Close, Temple Cowley.

In April 2016 the Oxford Mail revealed it had been sent a financial notice to improve by the Government after its accounts showed a net deficit of £79,739.

Mr Ratcliffe said: “Free schools are announced annually so it could take quite a while to get a new school approved.

“The Government is going to be very focussed on its grammar school stuff and the county council cannot do anything.

“The Government seems to have put all its eggs in one basket with free schools and I am not sure there is a plan B.”

Government rules mean that all new schools must be either free schools or academies.

Local authorities no longer have the power to open schools, but are responsible for planning where they are needed.

County councillor and free school critic Professor John Howson said: “I am frustrated that the Government insists that local authorities cannot effectively plan new schools.

“The local authority is best placed to know where to put the places ,but the Department for Education does not want to take their advice.”

Prof Howson added that it would not have been appropriate for a trust given a financial notice to improve to open a new free school.

Chapel St could not be reached for comment.