PLANS for a new multi-million-pound studio school for hundreds of pupils could be re-examined by the Government after concerns were raised about the loss of playing fields.

It comes as new images show what Bicester Technology Studio, planned for Queens Avenue, Bicester, could look like after an application was backed by Cherwell District Council.

But Sport England objected to the loss of existing playing fields and said the application should be referred to a national planning body.

The £4m technology college, sponsored by Activate Learning, would be built next to The Bicester School using 0.29 hectares of the school’s playing fields.

Planning officers felt that the land lost would be “comparatively small” and is “relatively under-used”.

But Sport England said it took away existing playing field space and it did not feel that plans demonstrated that an “equivalent or better replacement” had been offered.

It said in its objections that although developers had proposed moving the running track and rugby pitches to another part of the site, Sport England believed “retention of the same number of pitches, but on a smaller field, would be intensification, not replacement”.

Sport England’s head of media Andrew St Ledger added: “We object to the overall loss of playing fields. Our job is to protect them.”

Councillors voted to approve plans for the new school at a Cherwell District Council planning meeting last Thursday.

But Sport England says the application should be referred to the National Planning Casework Unit, which deals with requests for plans to be considered by central Government.

The NPCU will consider whether or not the plans must go to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to approve, reject or call-in the application for a further inquiry.

The school’s lead sponsor Activate Learning hopes to start on site next month. It said: “As long as we receive that final approval it will not affect the planned timescales at all”.

Executive director Lee Nicholls said: “Planning consent is a major milestone in the development of Bicester Technology Studio.This new schoolbuilding has been designed to reflect its specialisms in sustainable technology, providing students with a bright, business-like and engaging learning environment.”

The new school will take about 310 pupils aged between 14 and 19.

* Drop-in events for more information will be held at the John Paul II Centre, in Causeway, starting on Wednesday, September 23, from 6pm to 8pm.