A ‘CRUCIAL’ decision to reject plans for a new secondary school in Oxford could be overturned after councillors called for it to be looked at again.

Last week’s shock move to block the Swan School’s planning application has been ‘called in’ by a group of 12 councillors and will now be reconsidered by a separate committee.

Fears that children in Oxford could face a crisis in school places prompted the move, according to those behind it.

The second chance has been welcomed by the proposed school’s bosses who have warned students starting school next year may have to travel outside of the city.

One of the councillors backing the review, Susanna Pressel, said she was already seeing 11-year-olds in her ward of Jericho and Osney missing out on places in their chosen schools.

She said: “I think we need to have another look at this to make sure we reach the best decision.

“Next September we will have more students than places and in succeeding years it will get even worse.

“Opening the Swan School would certainly help with this problem.

“They searched hard for a better site for a new school, but failed to find one, and seem to have come up with some reasonable measures to reduce its impact.”

After debating the controversial plans for three hours on Thursday, the city’s planning committee defied officers’ advice and rejected the application with four opposed and three in favour.

Concerns were raised about traffic safety and congestion with a proposed road cutting across a major cycle lane.

The call-in means different councillors will look again at the application at a meeting on October 10.

Planning committee member John Tanner, who originally backed the plans, said he wanted a review as it was such a ‘crucial decision.’

He added: “When the decision was as close as this one it is worth looking at it again.

“With the amount of children we have coming through our primary schools, it is clear we need more places.

“But this has to be balanced with the need to protect the green belt.

“You can expand schools up to a point but unless they are all going to be huge, now is the time to build a new one.

“Beggars can’t be choosers and this is the only game in town. If we don’t do this we will face a real shortage of places in five to ten years' time.”

The move is likely to infuriate many Marston residents who have long said the school is in the wrong place and greeted last week’s decision with loud cheers.

Paul James, chief executive of the River Learning Trust who will run the school, said he was ‘encouraged’ by the latest developments.

He said schools in the county had been told by the county council they may have to take on more pupils to make up the shortfall as a result of the decision.