CROYDON Council says the collapse of plans for a new college in South Norwood will not leave students without a place.
STEM Academy Croydon Gateway was due to open in September but yesterday the group behind the school pulled out.
The 16 to 19 college, which would have been based in what was South Norwood police station, had already received more than 50 applications for places on its specialist science, technology, engineering and mathematics courses.
The free school had been approved by the Department for Education, appointed a head teacher and work had started on the building.
A council spokesman said there are places in existing colleges to cope.
"Free schools are a central government programme and the council has very little direct involvement in the decision-making process.
"Although Croydon has a very high demand for school places, there is capacity within the current post-16 provision.
"We are therefore very confident young people in Croydon will not be left without a post-16 place as a consequence of the withdrawal of the STEM Academy."
