A proposal to turn land formerly used as a training ground by Tottenham Hotspur FC into a school for children with autism has been approved.

Epping Forest District Councillors have given the go-ahead to the development by the Anderson Foundation, which also includes 60 homes in Luxborough Lane, Chigwell.

The need for the school outweighed any concerns over green belt land at the site, the committee decided during a meeting at Roding Valley High School in Brook Road on Tuesday.

The school would more than double school place provision for autistic children in Essex.

The homes would provide the £35million needed to build the school.

Some of the homes will be used by the school for therapy, housing visiting professionals and families and as an assessment centre based around a “traditional village green”.

Tottenham Hotspur had used the site for first team training since 1996, but moved to a new centre in Enfield because the Luxborough Lane was considered too small.

Spurs Lodge had continued operating community sessions on the playing fields, but it closed permanently in January.

A council spokeswoman said: “[The committee] are recommending approval of the planning application, when it goes to the District Development Control committee, who will take the final decision in January.”

“The reason for this is because approval would be under very special circumstances that would have to outweigh our normal planning policy as it is part of the green belt.”