GOVERNORS have given their backing to a controversial proposal to sell off a section of school playing fields in Darlington.

The governing body at Longfield Comprehensive School is supporting Darlington Borough Council in its bid to sell part of its playing fields to housing developers as part of a fundraising exercise.

The authority now expects its application for the project to be submitted to the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) shortly.

If the application proves successful, Longfield Comprehensive School will use a contribution from the sale proceeds to help improve its chances of achieving specialist sports college status.

The school is hoping to attract National Lottery funding to build a tennis centre on site, providing first-class facilities for pupils and the wider community.

But objectors have lodged protests with the Secretary of State for Education, saying the scheme will not benefit the town. They argue that if the school and local communit expands, the reduced playing fields area will not be sufficient.

They have also criticised the council's handling of the matter because they feel they were not fully consulted.

But Keith Cotgrave, headteacher at Longfield School, said: "The decision to support the sale of part of our school playing fields to fund improvements to our sports provision has been fully considered and debated by governors.

"The school urgently needs to improve our existing sports facilities if we are to achieve our aim of becoming a specialist sports college.

"Funding from the sale of an area of the existing school playing fields will be ploughed back into improving sports facilities at the school."

The final decision on the sale rests with the Secretary of State for Education. His decision is not expected until early next week.

Any application submitted by Darlington Borough Council is initially considered by the DfES-appointed Playing Fields Advisory Panel.

The panel makes a recommendation to the Secretary of State to either approve or reject the proposed disposal application.

Darlington council said 65 per cent of respondents to a public consultation were in favour of the tennis centre project.

Governors had previously been uncertain whether to give full backing to the scheme.

One protestor, who asked not to be named, said: "Parents and the wider community need to know what has changed."