The borough’s school places crisis is back on the agenda, literally, as councillors prepare to do battle in Guildhall tonight.

This evening's full council meeting will feature two motions – one by the opposition Liberal Democrats and another from the ruling Conservatives – criticising each other’s track record on education provision.

Lib Dem leader Liz Green will call for local authorities to be given back the power to open new schools amid a dramatic increase in the school age population, which has hit London boroughs – including Kingston – hard.

She will say: “It has been shown up and down the country that just opening free schools on unsuitable sites, in not fit for purpose buildings and not in areas of need, is not good enough.”

She will also claim Kingston Council under the Lib Dems had already gone to significant lengths to create extra school places, including building Lime Tree Primary School in Surbiton, and expanding and refurbishing 12 others.

But Kingston Council leader Kevin Davis will hit back with a motion of his own, in which he will rattle off an eight-point list of his opponents’ supposed failings.

Surrey Comet: Kevin Davis is the new leader of Kingston Council after being elected by the Conservative party last night. Pic: Jon Sharman

Council leader Kevin Davis will put forward a motion blaming the Lib Dems for a litany of schools failures

They include “out of control” spending in the Ancient Market Place and Tolworth Broadway, a lack of planning for population growth, and the decline of the borough’s open spaces.

Lib Dems also did not plan to cover a £30m spending “black hole”, he will say.

The full council meeting takes place at Guildhall at 7.30pm.