COMMUNITY representatives have met to discuss creating a city academy.

Darlington Borough Council wants to merge top-performing Hurworth School and struggling Eastbourne Comprehensive in a £25m academy on a site off Yarm Road, in the town, but there has been strong opposition.

Yesterday, the council's lifelong learning scrutiny committee listened to 15 presentations representing different views from across Darlington.

Members will make a recommendation in favour of, or against, expressing an interest in the plan tomorrow - and this will then go before the council's cabinet next Tuesday.

The committee heard from council chief executive Ada Burns and director of children's services, Margaret Asquith, who support the plan.

The Reverend Sheila Bamber, director of education at the Church of England, Diocese of Durham board of education, said: "We are talking about a big capital investment coming into the town."

However, Sam Jameson, chairwoman of Hurworth governors, said staff were already being offered new jobs and the uncertainty had caused one child to drop out of the school.

"We feel like this is the beginning of the demise of Hurworth School," she said.

Unions Unison and the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers said they were against academies.

Hurworth and Middleton St George parish councils and the action group Save Hurworth and Rural Education all spoke out against the academy plans.

The final decision on whether to express an interest in the academy will be taken by the full council.