THE former leader of Oxfordshire’s only Muslim school has pleaded for the site to continue as a centre for education.

Dr Hojjat Ramzy was chairman of the 120-pupil Iqra School when it closed in 2010 after failing to complete a deal to buy its base in David Nicholls Close in Littlemore from the Diocese of Oxford and the Lawn Upton Trust.

There are now plans to build homes on the land.

Dr Ramzy said: “I would like to see it kept as a school because the whole county is in need of schools, especially in Oxford.

“If it is turned into flats, I am very sad, because we have enough houses to accommodate the population – we need this school.

“I hope somebody else could take it on. I would not agree for any school to be demolished or converted for housing.”

He suggested the Diocese of Oxford, which runs 120 schools, could itself open one in Lawn Upton House.

The site is in the process of being sold to developer Vanderbilt Homes, which has launched a series of planning applications for the Grade II-listed structure and associated buildings.

Permission already exists to convert the house and outbuildings into five houses, and to knock down other buildings to make way for 18 new homes.

Now the developers are seeking permission to extend the time limit on the plans to convert the main house, and to build 24 rather than 18 flats.

Lawn Upton School Trust chairman David Barton said the site was placed on the open market and no school groups or educational charities expressed an interest.

He said the wooden classroom buildings would have needed demolishing due to their condition.

Mr Barton added: “There is already a school next door to it.

“While I entirely agree there is a general shortage of places they have to be in the right place, and that is John Henry Newman.

“For the Diocese to open another primary school right next door to one they already have, they just would not do it.

“The fact of the matter is housing is badly needed.”

The scheme, which has been submitted to Oxford City Council, is for five one-bedroom flats, nine two-bedroom flats and 10 three-bedroom flats in three new blocks.

The house and former coach house and stables would become one four-bedroom house, three two-bedroom houses and one one-bedroom home.

Planning consultant Henry Venners said: “The reason for the change is that the council wants to see more family homes in the scheme.

“The developers would want to start work as soon as they could.”

An undisclosed proportion of the proceeds of the sale will go towards John Henry Newman Academy.