TWO villages could see their "light go out" as their schools were put forward for potential closure.

Branton and Cornhill First Schools in Northumberland have requested a consultation on closure due to dwindling numbers of pupils. The board of governors at each school has made the request to Northumberland County Council, which will consider the requests at its executive meeting on December 5. If it agrees, a consultation will go ahead.

Although the council would not discuss the exact numbers at Branton, Coun John Taylor, who covers part of the catchment area at Powburn, said there are fewer than 20 pupils.

He said: “It’s a surprise but not a shock. The writing has been on the wall for some time. If a school closes it makes it hard for a village to have an entity. I’ve seen it happen and it’s distressing. The light goes out of the village and it becomes lifeless.

“It’s a very, very good little school. Parents are very happy but they have a financial problem and we have to try to support them if we can, and if we can’t we have to make sure the alternatives are good.”

Both he and Coun Steven Bridgett mentioned the lack of new affordable housing in villages. Coun Bridgett called it a “noose around a lot of small villages’ necks”.

Meanwhile in Cornhill, dwindling numbers and the resulting lack of money “to fund the staff required to deliver the full curriculum in the future that the pupils deserve” was cited as the reason for the move.

Chair of governors Coun Dougie Watkin said 20 years ago there were 68 pupils. This term, there are seven – two of whom are leaving and another two might leave at Christmas.

He said: “It’s terribly disappointing. It mirrors what’s happened throughout rural Northumberland.

“If you lose a school is makes it even harder to get young families into the village.” He added three teachers, a caretaker and a secretary work at Cornhill.