Telford schools building scheme will not be re-examined

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

Plans to spend £200 million on new schools in Shropshire will not be re-examined by councillors.

Telford and Wrekin Council's scrutiny board has decided against asking the authority's cabinet to re-examine the Building Schools for the Future scheme.

The Labour-controlled council approved the scheme in April.

However, five Conservative councillors wanted four parts of the plan re-examined, including the decision to build a faith school.

The scheme, which will mean six schools will be closed and replaced with new buildings on different sites, will now go ahead.

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

Plans 'sustainable'

The board rejected calls for it to ask the cabinet to re-examine the proposals after a three-hour debate on Wednesday, the council said.

Paul Watling, cabinet member for children, young people and families, said: "We had a very detailed debate about the merits of our proposed programme but after three hours of discussions, the scrutiny management board has agreed that our plans are sustainable.

"We feel we have a more even geographic spread of schools as a result of these new plans and they will give every child the opportunity to access high quality education in a modern secondary school estate."

The opposition councillors wanted the council to look again at:

• 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