Backing for education scheme cuts

The Skerne Park community was delivered a bombshell earlier this month when The Northern Echo revealed the plan for a new school and education centre on the estate in Darlington was over-budget and would have to be changed.

It is understood a range of cost-cutting options are being considered by the school's governing body, including reducing the size of the building and the number of facilities available.

Park East ward councillors Cyndi Hughes, Dr Glen Reynolds and Joe Lyonette have given their support to the proposals to reduce the size of the school in line with falling pupil numbers.

Coun Hughes said that the councillors had met local education authority officer Kevin Duffy to raise community concerns about the scheme.

Following that meeting, Coun Hughes said members were in favour of reducing the size of the school.

"The primary review we undertook recently confirms they will not be able to fill all 420 places at the new school, so it makes sense to reduce its size," she said.

"It would be a waste of finance to build a school that big at this time.

"We will support whatever final decision the governors make on the new school, but we think reducing the size would have a minimal impact on the community."

She said councillors had received assurances that if a smaller school was built and the number of pupils did increase in the future, there would be a potential to extend the building.

The spiralling cost of steel, which has risen by 80 per cent in four months, has been blamed for the project going over budget.

Work was due to begin in summer to create a primary school, nursery, Sure Start base and lifelong-learning centre on the site in Ribble Drive.

A decision on how to take the project forward is expected to be made by the school's governing body at a meeting on Monday, August 9.

Councillors Hughes, Reynolds and Lyonette would like to hear from anyone with concerns about the project.