Protesters speak out about Consett academy plans

Jul 30 2009 by Neil McKay, The Journal

DOZENS of protesters turned up yesterday to persuade council bosses to scrap plans to build a £60m academy on green belt land.

They urged Durham County Council to reconsider a recommendation to build the academy at Consett, County Durham, on land at Belle Vue.

Pensioner Margaret Nealis, of Villa Real Road, Consett, handed in a petition to a full meeting of Durham County Council, pleading for them to “show some respect to the people of Consett”.

She called on council bosses to hold a public meeting to listen to what they had to say.

Residents in Consett argue that the former steelworks site at Berry Edge – a 700-acre site which also contains housing and restaurants and is close to Derwentside College – would be a much more suitable site.

And Barbara Lynn, of Oakdale Road, Consett, mother to Heather, six, and four-year-old twins John and Tom, said: “We feel strongly that we don’t want to lose the green space at Belle Vue. And the traffic problems would be horrendous. My children will go to the academy one day and I would rather they walked the extra 10 minutes to Berry Edge than that we have it on our doorstep.”

Former Derwentside District Council leader Alex Watson warned that the Government could withdraw the cash for the academy if the council failed to deliver.

He said: “If they insist on building on Belle Vue then there will have to be a public inquiry. That would delay the academy way beyond the 2012 deadline and could lead to the Government withdrawing funding.