A new school could open without a second access road because of a continuing dispute over land.

Sutton Council is to seek a compulsory purchase order (CPO) to secure land its owners Benhill Gospel Trust do not want to sell next to the new Stanley Park High School in Carshalton.

The council wants to build a second access road to the school on the land off Woodmansterne Road, which the trust has so far blocked.

The council applied for a change to planning permission for the school to open without the second road, it emerged this week.

The move paves the way for the school to open in January 2012 with only one access road.

Residents of roads surrounding the school reacted in anger to the decision.

They fear the roads around the school will not be able to support the increased congestion, and the second road may never open.

Councillor Kirsty Jerome, Sutton Council’s schools spokeswoman, said the council’s application was only for a temporary change to the planning condition.

She said: “The school is on track to be up and running by January 2012 and, due to the unavoidable delay in obtaining the land, we have had to plan how it could open if the road was not completed by that time.”

She said the school would not be at full capacity in its first year, meaning it will be possible to operate with one road for the first year without disrupting surrounding roads further.