A new secondary school for Neasden has been given the green light by Brent’s planning committee.

Chancel House, in Neasden Lane, will be replaced with a five-storey secondary school and separate sixth form building. It is due for completion in 2022.

North Brent School will take 900 pupils in Years 7 to 11, and 250 A-level pupils.

The plans have been put forward by the Wembley Multi Academy Trust which runs Wembley High Technical College and East Lane Primary School in North Wembley.

Growing one year group at a time, it will open in Wembley High premises this September while the new facility is being built.

Gill Bal, executive headteacher of Wembley High, told the planning committee on Wednesday (June 10) that school opening times would be “staggered” with neighbouring schools to reduce traffic.

She told councillors North Brent School has received 451 applications for 120 places for its September intake.

“We have long waiting lists and parents are very keen for their child to gain a place,” she said.

“We look forward to our school being embedded as part of the local community (...) it has the potential not only to provide for the children but also rejuvenate the area.”

After she left the Zoom call, the meeting was dominated by confusion over the catchment area and transport concerns.

As the school is currently in Wembley High, it raised concerns that pupils will be travelling from North Wembley to the new school south of the North Circular.

Pupils will have “very good” public transport links “or cycle” as fewer parents drive secondary age children to school, officers said.

The meeting heard that Transport for London has asked the trust for “a contribution” of £750,000 to provide extra buses.

Cllr Robert Johnson said he was not “overly concerned about the length of travel people have to make” if extra buses are provided”.

He said: “There are estates around that new site and there are a couple of primary schools around that new site, so for the first phase of entry it’s likely to come from the north Wembley site but later phases of entry should be able to take on board the local catchment area.”