THE Charity Commission says it has now received a response from the council to its request for more evidence it can build a school on Leyton cricket ground.

The council wants to change the use of part of the former county cricket ground, in High Road, so it can be used to site a 1,700-pupil school.

The authority is confident it is able to free the land from the control of a charitable trust.

But the Charity Commission has expressed frustration at a lack of information from the authority to prove this and threatened to take action if the council did not supply more information about why it believes it can legally build on the land.

The watchdog says it is now considering a "response" from the authority - but will not divulge what extra information the council has provided.

A Charity Commission spokeswoman said: "Concerns have been raised with the Charity Commission regarding Waltham Forest Council's proposal to build a school on Leyton Sports Ground.

"The Commission is in correspondence with the Council to give advice concerning the land's charitable status and in order to ascertain whether the proposals comply with charity law.

"The Commission received a response from Waltham Forest Council on Friday 22 May and are currently considering this response to determine the appropriate way forward."

Residents are concerned about the loss of green space, the implications of siting of three schools on one site, and the trust status of the new school, meaning it will be effectively operating out of local authority control.

Cllr Liaquat Ali, the council's cabinet member for children, said the new school, which will consist of a merger of George Mitchell, Beaumont and Norlington School fo Boys, will provide "state-of-the-art educational and community faciliites"