Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government to what extent neighbouring schools are included in the consultation process of site selection by the Education Funding Authority.

Free school trusts are required, under Section 10 of the Academies Act 2010, to consult those they think appropriate before the school opens and to have due regard to the outcome of that consultation. The duty to consult rests solely with the trust.

In addition, all new free schools must comply with planning legislation and almost all require the submission of a planning application to permit the establishment of a new school. This means that local communities have an opportunity to express their views both supporting and objecting to the school proposal. The local planning authority must fully consider all such submissions in deciding whether to grant planning permission.

The Secretary of State has a duty, under Section 9 of the Academies Act 2010, to consider the likely impact of opening a new academy on maintained schools, academies and institutions within the further education sector in the area in which the additional school is, or is proposed to be, situated. The Department for Education publishes impact assessments for new schools on GOV.UK.