A demonstration is set to be held at the town hall this evening in protest at plans to sell off four acres of playing fields at Putney's Elliott School.

Campaigners are calling on residents to support the protest, set for 6.45pm outside the Civic Offices, to oppose the plans and ask that the refurbishment is funded in another way.

Carmel Pollen, of Battersea and Wandsworth TUC (BWTUC), said: "We are supporting the protest because this is part of the Tory council plan to transfer resources to the "well off" from the "less well off" in the borough.

"Selling four acres of playing fields to fund the refurbishment of one of the council's own secondary schools while finding up to £30m to pay for a new Bolingbroke free school in the borough is an absolute scandal.

"This is not surplus land, it belongs to our children and is not yours to sell."

The BWTUC have also highlighted a segment of a report written by the director of children’s services on the proposals for Elliott School.

The official paper to the committee reads: "The total area of the site exceeds the DfE Building Bulletin guidance for external area (with external pitches provided off site) and it is proposed to market and dispose of the surplus land for residential development to fund the main scheme.

"The Secretary of State’s approval under Section 77 of the School Standards and Frameworks Act 1998 would be required for both the transfer of the playing fields area to the Council and the onward disposal to a developer.

"An application will also need to be made to the Secretary of State at the same time for a Direction of Transfer of the land to the Council and the onward long lease to the Academy."