Richmond Council resolved to hold a borough-wide public consultation into school places once the Government gives the diocese permission to publish its proposals and the dioceses formally applies to the council.

This will be carried out in parallel to the statutory consultation delivered by the diocese.

However, the RTT incorrectly reported in this week's paper that there would be no full consultation over the Clifden Road school proposals.

An extraordinary meeting was held before the full meeting of the council on Tuesday, November 1, to discuss whether the council should hold a consultation with all parents before it continues with plans for the Catholic school.

The amendment that was voted on and an agreed motion said: “This council resolves, bearing in mind its commitment to respect equal opportunities and the place of minorities in our community, to maintain its long standing commitment to the provision of a Roman Catholic secondary school, reaffirmed under successive administrations and, as agreed without opposition by this full council in its Corporate Plan adopted in April 2011; and to ensure, in accordance with its normal practice, borough-wide public consultation on any proposal that comes forward for such a school, including on the use of the Clifden site.”

At the extraordinary meeting, councillors debated whether the Clifden Road site had already been offered to the Catholic Church, with Liberal Democrats claiming Conservatives should consult parents before going any further with plans.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Stephen Knight said: "We all know the local Catholic Church has had a long-standing ambition to provide a Catholic secondary school in this borough.

"However, such ambition to provide a school does not equate to a decision by this council to devote resources and land to such a project, nor does it equate to a decision by this council to put such a project as a higher priority than any other."

Councillors at the meeting decided, however, to stick with its original timetable.

Leader of the council Lord True said: "We would not be envisaging having a Catholic school if we did not believe that this was a long held aspiration."

A full consultation on the issue will be made once the Secretary of State has made a decision on the site.