Parents launch legal bid to save threatened Dales middle schools (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Parents launch legal bid to save threatened Dales middle schools

8:30am Thursday 16th June 2011 in Ingleton news

By Steven Bell and Kate Proctor.

A LAST-ditch legal bid has been launched to stop a council closing two Dales schools.

North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) has been served court papers following its decision to shut both Ingleton and Settle middle schools in 2012.

It is the first time the authority has faced such a legal challenge.

The closure plan – part of a move to change from a three-tier to a two-tier education system – was rubber stamped in February despite opposition from parents.

The authority cited falling pupil numbers and the financial viability of the schools to underpin its closure decision.

But campaigners claim the decision was made before their views were considered and are taking the fight to court.

Kevin McSherry, chairman of Save the North Craven three-tier system committee, said: “We believe that the review process was pre-determined from the outset and went through a process that looked like a review without taking notice of people’s opinions.

“I am sure the council saw the responses but their attitude was we are going to do it anyway.”

Currently, the middle schools take children aged 10 to 13 and many families believe they provide a valuable experience for rural children between primary and secondary school.

Under the new plan, they will transfer straight from primary school, at the age of 11, to Settle College, which is being expanded.

Fellow committee member Liam Dillon said the group had been left with no option but to challenge the decision through the courts.

He said: “Councillors said the community was split roughly 50/50 over the proposals, but we believe two petitions with almost 2,000 signatures against were buried in the final report.

"If they were made obvious, it would have shown clearly the outrage at the closures.

“People are under the impression the council’s decision is done and dusted – but we have one more option so we’ve got to try.”

Campaigners have made an emergency application for legal aid to fund the case in the event that a judicial review is granted.

Solicitors acting on behalf of the committee have also waived some legal fees.

A council spokeswoman said it was the first time that the county has been challenged in this way.

She denied the committee’s accusations and said every public response was submitted to the executive before the decision.

“In making its decision, the county council understood that some people were very loyal to the middle school system but at no time during the consultation and decision-making process was any attempt made to underplay the nature of responses,” she said.

“The proposals offer the best opportunity to secure high quality provision across North Craven in the face of falling pupil numbers and financial difficulty.”

Ingleton and Settle Middle Schools have 145 and 250 pupils respectively. Around 30 members of staff at Ingleton School will lose their jobs with no guarantee of being relocated elsewhere.

Leeds Administrative Court has confirmed it received a judicial review application.

A judge there will now consider the arguments put forward by both parties before deciding whether there are grounds for a review of the council’s decision.

* Public meetings take place next Tuesday (June 21) at Ingleborough Community Centre, at 7.30pm, and Bentham Town Hall, at 3.30pm, on Wednesday (June 22) for people to find out more.