A £15m scheme to build two new schools in Ingleby Barwick has taken a step forward.

Stockton Borough Council, working in partnership with the Church of England's Diocese of York, have selected a private sector partner as a "preferred bidder" to build the schools.

Together they will design, build, finance, and run the 600-place All Saints Church of England voluntary-aided secondary school for 11 to 16-year-olds, which will be the first secondary school in the town.

The plans also include a 210-place community primary school, with a 39-place nursery, to be known as Myton Park Primary School.

Design work has already begun and draft plans will be unveiled at a public meeting to be organised in Ingleby Barwick in the New Year.

The schools will be built next to one another off Blair Avenue, in Ingleby Barwick, with facilities including a library, sports hall and playing fields that will be available for use by the local community.

It is hoped that both schools will open in September 2003.

The chosen private partner is a consortium of the Stirling-based Robertson Group, together with the Bank of Scotland and Quayle Munroe Holdings plc.

The Robertson group, which has a regional office in Gateshead, has experience of public/private partnerships gained when it built a community hospital in Chester-le-Street.

The consortium has now opened discussions on the plans with Stockton council planning officers.

Alex Cunningham, Stockton council's cabinet member for education, said: "This announcement marks very significant progress towards providing Ingleby Barwick with first-class educational facilities for its residents.

"Along with the opening of the St Francis of Assisi Church of England Prim- ary School next September, these two facilities will complete a total of no less than six schools in Ingleby Barwick over the past few years."

Tom Bowman, vice chairman of Ingleby Barwick Parish Council, welcomed the step forward.

He said: "It will ease traffic congestion problems out of the town in the mornings and save the children time getting to school."

"Also, at the moment it is costing some of the parents £9 a week in bus fares to get their children to school in other towns. Ingleby Barwick really needs these schools, particularly the secondary school."