Consett academy verdict “called in”

Aug 14 2009 by Neil McKay, The Journal

ASTORM over where to build a £26m academy will take another twist next week over claims that the decision-making process was “inadequate”.

Five Durham County councillors have succeeded in having the controversial choice of Belle Vue for the proposed academy in Consett, County Durham “called in”. Belle Vue, the site of the Civic Centre, sports centre, football ground and magistrates court, was chosen by the county council’s cabinet of executive members, despite concerted local opposition at a stormy meeting on July 31.

Residents had urged the council to build the academy, which will be created through the proposed merger of two Consett secondary schools, on a 700-acre site at Berry Edge, the former Consett steelworks site.

They claim that to build an academy for 1,500 students at Belle Vue would cause major traffic problems and lead to the loss of valuable green space.

This coming Tuesday, the county’s overview and scrutiny management board will examine how the decision was reached, after councillors Malcolm Campbell, Allan Bainbridge, James Huntington, Bob Alderson and Amanda Hopgood successfully had it “called in”.

A "call in" allows members to refer back any decision taken by the executive for reconsideration by the body or person who made it.

The five members say the basis for the request for a call-in was “the strongly expressed belief by members of the public, some of whom attended council on July 29 and cabinet on July 31, that in making its decision cabinet may have overlooked significant and relevant issues”.

Points of contention include “a strong feeling” that the merits of developing greenfield and brownfield sites were not fully investigated.

The analysis of the effect of distance on the potential synergies between the academy and Derwentside College has also been called into question. And there is a belief that, given the strength of local feeling indicated by the petition signed by 1,140 people, the council should have sought advice and comments on the relative advantages and disadvantages of the six sites originally considered and not simply the two sites referred to in the consultation document.

The special meeting of the overview and scrutiny management board, which is open to the public, is being held at County Hall, Durham on Tuesday at 10am.