Council bosses have formally objected to plans for a new free school in Small Heath amid claims it would suck the life out of other schools in the area.

The city council's Labour cabinet won support from opposition members over its stand against plans to open the Perry Beeches V School in a disused office block.

The final decision now rests with the Department for Education.

They claimed the 100-place primary school would create over-supply of school places in the area and there was no demand for more secondary school places for at least another two years.

And argued such a move would waste £20 million of public money providing school places which were not needed.

The council would also like to see the nearby Al Hijrah School, the most over-subscribed school in the city, relocate to the office block as its present building is crumbling.

Cabinet member for education Brigid Jones said: "This is not a criticism of free school policy or Perry Beeches. It's about school resources in area of high need."

She instead urged Perry Beeches to use its expertise to help the struggling schools.

"There aren't many organisations that have a track record, like Perry Beeches, of turning around failing schools," she added.

"As the last few years have shown us, it takes exceptional skills and courage to turn a failing one around.

"Perry Beeches has done it before and we are asking it to come and work with us to do just that again with the failing schools in this area."

Coun Sue Anderson, Yardley district committee chairman and a former teacher, said it would suck the life out of other schools in the east of the city.

She said: "I have spoken with heads and teachers who had extreme concerns about the future of their schools if this goes ahead. This Perry Beeches School is really in the wrong place."