A COUNCIL that wants to build three academies is facing mounting criticism after it ruled out a former steelworks as a possible site.

Durham County Council, which wants to build academy schools in Durham, Consett and Stanley, considered the former Consett Steelworks site as a potential location, but has not included it in current public consultation.

In Consett, the authority is consulting on building an academy for 1,500 pupils aged 11 to 16 and some post-16 students on a site beside a leisure centre at Belle Vue and a site at Crookhall, off the Consett bypass.

Since the consultation was announced last week, parents have been circulating a petition calling on the council to hold a public meeting to explain its options.

Former Derwentside District Council leader Alex Watson has written to Schools Minister Vernon Coaker backing the steelworks site, also known as the Genesis site.

He said: “It is a perfect site.

It has got everything. I have got no doubt had it featured as an option, the public would have been overwhelmingly in favour.”

Owen Temple, a Liberal Democrat councillor for Consett North, said: “They have got to stop this sham of a consultation.

The county council has to talk to the people of Consett and the trustees of Project Genesis before any decisions are made.”

The three academies would replace six secondary schools.

The consultation will close on Friday. For more information, visit durham.gov.uk

■ The first of two public meetings to discuss possible sites for the proposed Durham City academy will be in Belmont School sports hall from 6.30pm tonight. The second will be in Durham Gilesgate Sports College from 6.30pm tomorrow.