There was standing room only in an Edgware church hall as 300 people voted unanimously to oppose plans to build a school on their estate.

People from the Broadfields Estate in Edgware, who have formed a residents association to fight the relocation of Harrow-based Hindu free school Avanti House, have the support of their MP Matthew Offord.

The new chairman of the Broadfields Residents Association Andrew Simons, who was elected at the meeting, said the proposed site between Hartland Drive and Broadfields Primary School was far too small to accommodate the school, which would have 1,680 pupils.

He expressed worries streets would be completely gridlocked by the hundreds of cars needed to transport children and staff to and from the school.

Mr Simons said: “We are not just objecting to this school being built on the estate, but all schools.”

Although the school has not yet applied for planning permission from Barnet Borough Council, Mr Simons said Avanti House was already forging ahead with plans.

He added: “Avanti House believes it already has funding for this development. We must be prepared and we must fight it.”

Speaking at the meeting in St Andrew’s Church Hall in Lynford Gardens, Hendon MP Matthew Offord said he shared residents' concerns. 

He said: “I support free schools in principle, but I do not support a free school being sited here.

 “I was governor for Broadfields Primary School and I know the problems of the estate. We already have three schools and it is too much.”

Mr Offord added he would talk to Education Secretary Michael Gove about finding another site for the school, whose current home in Tudor Place in Harrow is too small to accommodate expansion plans.

And he said the residents had a good chance of persuading Barnet Council not to sell the land to the school.

Lorraine Young of Parkside Drive said it would be “hell” if the school moved to the estate, especially since life was already made difficult by the bad driving and parking of parents dropping children off at the three existing schools.

She voiced concerns that house prices would fall if the estate was permanently gridlocked by cars and felt it was “not fair” on parents or children to have to travel from Harrow to the school.

Others feared accidents would increase and buses and emergency vehicles would be unable to get through the estate in the mornings and evenings due to the sheer volume of cars.

Also present at the meeting was a representative of London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden Andrew Dismore and councillors from the Labour and Conservative groups of Barnet Council.

Hale councillor Hugh Rayner said the plans were “wrong on so many levels.”

He said: “This school could not be welcome in this location. It is a Harrow school and it should remain in Harrow.”