Plans for a new school will be heard this week, though councillors fear the plans are being "rushed through".

The planning application for the Pioneer Ark Academy at Underhill will be heard on October 25 by the planning committee.

Underhill councillor, Paul Edwards, said he did not receive formal notice about the date for the application despite being an objector and requesting to speak at the hearing.

Cllr Edwards added he was sent through a circular email confirming the date of the committee, meaning he would only have eight days to prepare his presentation for the meeting.

He said: "This is one of the most controversial planning applications to be put before Barnet Council's planning committee.

"The Conservatives should show more respect to its local council tax payers than simply trying to rush this decision through in the hope that no one will notice."

Cllr Edwards called on Cllr Melvin Cohen, the chair of the committee, to postpone the discussion to allow for opposers to have time to gather their arguments, however this request has been refused.

He added: "Each of the Underhill councillors has received a massive quantity of adverse comments about this proposed new school application. The council’s website records over 500 comments on this application.

"To give local residents just eight days notice of such a major and clearly controversial planning application is just not in the interests of fairness and democracy.

"At Wednesday night’s planning committee we shall again be asking for deferral of this highly contentious planning application."

A Barnet Council spokesperson said: "Local residents who registered their intention to speak at this committee would have had their details recorded. Notification emails inviting them to speak will be sent on Friday (October 20).

"This is in line with usual Planning Committee procedure, which requires all those wishing to speak to register by 10am on the third full working day prior to the meeting. It is not common for every respondent to the planning application consultation to be notified of the committee date.

"The agenda for any upcoming committee is made publicly available via the council website five working days before the meeting - as was done in this case."

Cllr Richard Cornelius, Leader of the Council, added: "Labour called this ‘a secret plan’. It would only have seemed that way to them because, as is often the case, they had not bothered to familiarise themselves with council procedure."