Kingston councillors have defended a decision not to consider building a new primary school on the site of an old care home.

The new policy and resources committee debated disposing of the former site of Amy Woodgate House in Warren Road, New Malden, behind closed doors on Tuesday, May 24.

Lynne Finnerty, who has campaigned against expanding Christ Church primary, New Malden, on playing fields next to Corpus Christi primary, told the meeting the site was not among alternative sites examined by council officers.

She had previously said Freedom of Information Act requests showed the council had also not considered the Cocks Crescent area, and had rejected both the old Bevonians Sports Ground on Robin Hood Way and the Wellington Crescent area as potential alternative sites.

Mrs Finnerty urged councillors to defer a decision on selling the Warren Road site while alternative sites for school expansion were still being sought.

Responding, Councillor Rolson Davies, executive member for finance, said: “It was, and still is, the administration’s position that the disposal of the old Amy Woodgate was to off-set the costs of building the new one.”