Telford £200m schools building scheme questioned

The new Abraham Darby school is due to be completed by the summer

Plans to spend £200 million on schools in Shropshire will be examined by a council scrutiny board later.

Labour-controlled Telford and Wrekin Council's Building Schools for the Future scheme was approved in April.

But five Conservative councillors want the board to order the council to look again at parts of the scheme, including the decision to build a faith school.

The scrutiny management board cannot overturn the council's decision to approve the plans.

The opposition councillors are asking the board to order the council to look again at four parts of their plans:

• The decision to provide a faith school in Priorslee instead of a community school

• The impact of an overall cut of 400 school places across Telford and Wrekin

• The implications for the Burton Borough School following planning applications for an additional 1,100 homes in the town

• The closing of Wrockwardine Wood Arts College

The council said it had already amended some of its plans after 2,000 people responded to a consultation.

Under the scheme, six schools will be closed and replaced with new buildings on different sites.

Most of the money for the final phase of the scheme will come from government grants.

The scrutiny management board, made up of four Labour councillors, two Conservative councillors and one independent, will meet at 09:00 BST on Wednesday.