Kent County Council says it is to push ahead with a new satellite grammar school - on a site the government has earmarked for a new free school instead.

The council's newly-appointed cabinet member for education says the authority has no "Plan B" and is continuing to press the case for a new four-form entry grammar in Sevenoaks to be based at the former Wildernesse School site.

The proposal was first agreed a year ago after parents petitioned the authority for new grammar places, saying a shortage meant many pupils were forced to travel outside the area.

The scheme is being sponsored by Maidstone's Invicta Girls Grammar School. It is the official partner and is set to launch an eight-week consultation over the plans this week.

However, there is now a question mark over the location after the Department for Education announced it intended to give the site to the backers of the Trinity Free School, an all-ability secondary school with a Christian ethos.

Cllr Roger Gough (Con), cabinet member for education, said that as things stood, no other option in terms of location was being considered.

The council wrote in March to the Department for Education to challenge its powers to hand over a site owned by KCC to someone else.

Education director Patrick Leeson said the DfE was acting in an irrational and improper way.

Cllr Gough signalled KCC was continuing to work on the basis the new school would be at the original location.

"The focus is very much on that site and I do not think we are talking about a Plan B at this stage.

"You can never rule anything out but it is the obvious site for all sorts of good reasons and we have a partner which is very enthusiastic about doing it there.

"There are still issues to be resolved around what happens within the site but I am pretty
confident that we have a lot of momentum behind us," he said.

Cllr Gough said there remained considerable support for the plan both within Sevenoaks and beyond.

Sarah Shilling, who spearheaded the campaign for the new grammar annexe, said she was pleased by KCC's renewed commitment.