A site that could provide the answer to Surbiton’s primary school void has gone untouched.

St Mark’s Councillor Liz Green, leader of the opposition, said the Liberal Democrats identified an area for a new school earlier in the year, but had their attempts at solving the school places crisis in Surbiton thwarted.

The group had suggested a patch of land in a square surrounded by South Place, Warwick Grove, Brown’s Road and Alpha Road, in Surbiton.

Buildings owned by various bodies around the site include the former care home Newent House, Surbiton Children’s Centre nursery and South Place Resource Centre, an NHS owned building.

Ed Davey, the former MP for Kingston and Surbiton, had also written to the council to suggest the site, but was told it was too small to be considered.

Councillor Andrea Craig, cabinet member with responsibility for education and skills, said: “At this point it does not appear that the EFA’s original concerns about this particular site, including lack of available space for parking and increased traffic in a residential area, have changed.”

The NHS building is now for sale, although this happened after the site was first dismissed.

Coun Green said: “My thought was we could build a primary school on a bigger site now.

“It’s just a piece of land big enough in the right place.

“We keep raising it and getting nowhere.”

Earlier this month the Surrey Comet highlighted the need for a primary school in Surbiton.

Statistics gathered and published by the Greater London Assembly showed the predicted number of school places needed for four-year-olds in Berrylands in 2018 would be 144 – a rise of 12 per cent on the current figures moving on to primary education.

Free school provider Gems had hoped to open in a school in Surbiton, but admitted the task had been difficult, forcing it to settle for a site in Kingston after a year of searching.

But Coun Craig said: “It remains the Education Funding Agency’s responsibility to find suitable sites for future schools.”

She added the council was due to meet with the agency to discuss options this month.

The EFA said it would not comment on speculation into sites.