A COMMUNITY faces growing uncertainty surrounding the future of its youth club and sports hall, which may be demolished to make way for a 1,000-pupil school.

The management committee of Brotton Youth Club, was told by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council at a meeting last week that its youth club and sports centre would be demolished to make way for the new Freebrough Community College.

Building work is expected to begin on the new school at Brotton, this summer, which will bring together pupils from the school's three sites at Skelton, Loftus and Brotton.

The youth club committee say no assurances have been given that a youth club will be incorporated into the new school.

Members said that, in any case, young people will be left without a youth club for two years while the new school is built.

But a council spokesman said that no decision has been made as to what form the new building will take or what may be retained from the old buildings at the Brotton site.

He said: "We are currently going out to tender for a design consultancy for the Brotton site, who will assist us in making the best use of the site in relation to the facilities that are required, both for the school and the community."

The youth club is open four nights a week, including a Thursday evening session when young people with disabilities from a nearby care home can mix with other youth club members.

During the day it is used as an Advisory Resource and Counselling Service for young people over 16.

Richard Rudland, a member of Brotton Community Forum and vice-chairman of the youth club, said: "There is nowhere else for young people to go. There will be more damage and destruction to pay for by disaffected youths than the cost of providing somewhere for them to go.

"Schools often cannot offer extra curricula activities and youth clubs help the children to develop important life skills.

"We need to fight to keep these important facilities."

Concerns have also been raised by the community at Skelton over the possible sale of Freebrough's Skelton school site to developers, which would mean the loss of a youth centre, virtual learning centre and sports hall.