A teachers' union leader has questioned whether the academy chain that has been appointed to run three new primary free schools in the Norwich area will allow much community involvement.

Last week, the government announced Reach2, the largest chain of primary academies in England, would run a new free school at White House Farm, Sprowston, and two on Beeston Park, a development in Old Catton and Sprowston.

However, this newspaper revealed yesterday that Norfolk County Council had opened a four-month process to choose the best organisation to run the White House Farm school just four days earlier, not knowing that ministers had already decided on the sponsor.

At a meeting of Norwich City Council's Scrutiny Panel yesterday, which heard evidence about academies and free schools, Scott Lyons of the National Union of Teachers said unions had good relations with most Norfolk-based academy trusts, but not with national chains.

He said: 'With Reach2 coming in, it's going to be a lot harder to engage and consult with national chains. I think parents will find that just as hard, compared to local chains.'

A spokesman for Reach2 said: 'In Reach2 we are a family of schools with very localised hubs which means we retain all the benefits of scale without losing the ability to respond to what each local community needs.

'We operate in four main regions and are regionally based – we are not a trust that has a head office in London; we are based in our schools and as such can respond to what is needed.'

The city council has no legal responsibilities for schools, but the committee said it wanted to look at whether the introduction of academies and free schools was affecting life chances of young people in the city.

It is due to hear evidence from Norfolk County Council and the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust next month.