Controversial plans to grant a new school a 125-year lease on part of a public park are to be reconsidered following opposition.

Cabinet members on Hounslow Council agreed last month to award Floreat Education the lease for about a third of Brent Lea Recreation Ground, in Brentford, in return for a peppercorn rent and £60,000 upfront.

However, the decision was called in by Councillor Tony Louki, with support from 12 other councillors.

At an overview and scrutiny committee meeting on Wednesday (July 15), councillors voted to refer the matter back to cabinet for reconsideration at a special cabinet meeting on Tuesday (July 21).

Hounslow Council leader Steve Curran said following the meeting that the council's "over-riding duty" was to ensure every child had a school place come September.

"We're looking for sites all the time and putting pressure on the developers for Commerce Road and TfL (to make that site available). If we can find a different permanent site I will be the happiest man in the borough."

Giving his reasons for calling in the decision, Mr Louki had questioned why the recreation ground had never appeared in the council's own list of appropriate sites for new schools.

He also claimed the "aspirations" of free school developers were given greater weight than those of local residents.

Residents opposing the plans have formed a protest group called Save Our Rec. They are also investigating whether covenants restricting the use of the land could prevent the school being built there.

The founders of Floreat Brentford have already been granted planning permission to open the two-form entry primary free school at the park in London Road this September in temporary buildings.

Both Floreat and the council say they have been unable to find a more suitable location so far but are continuing to search.

Should no alternative be found Floreat is expected to apply for permission to build a permanent building on the park site.

The remainder of the park would remain open to the public and the council says the money generated would fund improvements to facilities there.

It was originally intended for the school to open in Commerce Road but this has not been possible as the site is still needed as a bus garage and, according to the council, is unlikely to be available until 2018.

Other nearby sites to have been ruled out include Acton Lodge, which Mr Curran said was not suitable due to its narrow layout, and the Max Factor House office block, the owner of which already has planning permission to convert the building to create 22 homes.