Jonathan Lewis, of Peterborough City Council, said: “Meeting local need is always the priority.”

It will open to 90 children in 2022, growing to accommodate 630 pupils.

The government will pay 90% of the estimated £11m-£15m cost, with the city council contributing between £1.1m and £1.5m.

Plans for the primary school were approved on Wednesday night, despite an 11th-hour challenge from three city councillors. If the school is oversubscribed, it will make selection 80% Catholic faith-based, with the rest chosen by proximity. Critics said it was “discriminatory” for a Catholic school to prioritise children of the Catholic faith.

Joseph McCrossan, head teacher of St Alban’s Roman Catholic Primary School in Cambridge, said faith schools across the diocese were largely mixed.

“In my experience Catholic schools look at the wider community, at global issues, at other faiths, cultures and values. We celebrate that.”

A Department for Education spokesman said voluntary-aided schools were “among the best-performing in the country and are valued by parents for their strong and positive ethos”.

“Priority was given to schools that support integration and inclusivity when considering applications to help fund new voluntary aided schools,” a statement said.