Plans for a new free school, which were delayed last month, will now move forward in a bid to open in time for September.

The Bellevue Place Education Trust plans to open Watling Park School on the former Pavilion Way playing fields in Burnt Oak, and places have been offered to children starting in Reception this year.

But the plans were put on hold after a decision to release the land – and move forward to the planning stage – was referred to full council by Labour councillors on Barnet council’s assets, regeneration and growth committee in June.

The proposals were passed at last night’s full council meeting in Hendon Town Hall.

Conservative deputy leader of the council, Councillor Daniel Thomas, criticised Labour for the delay.

Cllr Thomas said: “It was on this technical planning matter that Labour decided to throw all those children, all those families into limbo, by referring it.

“This is a delaying tactic. There is some sort of opposition to free schools over that side of the chamber, and this is one of the ways they try and frustrate the system. It’s not going to happen. We support the school. School places are needed.”

He added: “These are local kids who want to go to this school, and we need to hurry up and build it. When we build school, when we build roads, when we try and put infrastructure in, all we get is nimbyism and people referring decisions.

“It’s not on. This side will support the school and the community that badly needs these places.”

Labour councillor Ammar Naqvi, who represents Burnt Oak, said: “Here I am again defending Burnt Oak’s local assets against a Tory council intent on stripping us of what little we have.”

Cllr Naqvi accused the authority of creating a “school places crisis” in the borough by overdevelopment, which had caused it to “scramble around and snatch any piece of land you can find, even if that means local people have to suffer.”

He said: “This is the situation you find yourselves in, this is the context in which I speak, and you have the cheek, the gall, to call us irresponsible?”

Cllr Naqvi said a covenant placed on the site in 1985 stated it was to be used exclusively for community sports.

He added: “Your provocations, your threats and attacks will not stop us from standing up for our community.”