DEPUTY council leader David Renard has denied that meetings about the new Croft School were so secretive councillors were told not to disclose the briefings had even taken place.

The meetings were held last month to share data on pupil numbers, which will shed light on the need for the primary school in the face of concerted opposition from local residents.

Campaigners say the development, next to the Croft Sports Centre in Old Town , is going ahead despite widespread opposition and flawed evidence during the planning process.

They want to know pupil numbers because they say it will demonstrate that the school is under-subscribed and one of the key arguments put forward to build it was wrong.

The briefings in July involved Coun Renard, who is also cabinet member for Children Services, council leader Rod Bluh , Labour leader Jim Grant, South Swindon MP Robert Buckland and other councillors and officials.

The fact that the meetings had taken place was not to be made public, according to a source who spoke to the Adver.

Coun Grant confirmed yesterday he was one of the councillors who left with the impression that the existence of the briefings was to be kept secret.

He said: “I can confirm that all three political group leaders were briefed on the school place figures for Swindon’s schools, including the new Croft School, last month.

“Despite my protests, I was told I could only receive this information in confidence and I was led to believe that the fact we were being briefed was also in confidence.

“I disagreed that this information should be kept from the public until the start of September.

“However, I have given my word to be briefed on this information in confidence and it would have been dishonourable of me to release these figures.”

The planned first intake is for 60 children but campaigners believe the real figure could be as low as half that and there was never a pressing need for more places in the area.

Admissions data will be released in September but is being kept secret in advance on the grounds that it could result in parents moving children between schools and hampering funding arrangements for teachers and resources.

Campaigners say the 420-pupil school, which is due to open on September 3, will also have a low number of pupils from the catchment area.

Coun Renard denied councillors had been told to keep the existence of the meetings a secret.

He said: “If that was said I certainly didn’t hear that and I certainly didn’t say it.”

Coun Renard also defended keeping the admissions data from the public. He said: “If numbers are published widely potentially that could lead to parents either changing their preferences in favour of one school against another.

“If you get wide volatility that could mean a school could get one member of staff who they don’t need any more or they find they have got more pupils than staff and they are under-recruited.

“We have discussed this with headteachers and they’ve all agreed that they shouldn’t be available any earlier than usual.

“They will be published in the admissions guide as part of the process for parents choosing places for next September.”