CAMPAIGNERS are claiming a victory in their attempt to save a sports hall and youth centre from demolition.

Redcar and Cleveland Council says it has been working to retain the sports hall and youth centre at Skelton when the De Brus School building is demolished.

The land is to be sold, potentially for housing, to help finance the Freebrough Community College's new school building at Brotton.

Now the council's project team is submitting a planning application, seeking to keep both facilities.

It means the sports fields can continue to be used, with changing facilities available at the nearby sports hall, which will be run by the council's youth service.

The council's cabinet member for education Councillor Steve Kay said: "This has been a long-running and contentious issue and I am absolutely delighted it is being resolved in such a positive way. Now everything depends on getting planning permission. I said from the beginning that we would look to retain what facilities we could, provided the plan for the school was not jeopardised."

He said: "We have not declared war on Skelton, as has been suggested, and I am only sorry that some people refused to believe me when I said the council has the interests of all its people at heart."

Opposition Labour group leader Councillor George Dunning said: "The Labour group and our Skelton ward councillors in particular, have urged the coalition that the loss of youth and sports facilities to Skelton would have a major impact on quality of life in east Cleveland.

"We thought the coalition were ignoring local opinion, however the vigorous campaign waged by the Save our Community campaign, and their local councillors, has achieved a U-turn at the 11th hour."