TWO executive councillors clashed over plans to close parts of a Warrington special school.

Members of the executive committee agreed on Monday night to close the primary, sixth form and residential parts of Grappenhall Hall School.

But member for finance and former governor at the village school, Clr Peter Walker (LD - Hatton, Stretton and Walton), said the council was making an expensive mistake.

He was the only one of the nine members to try to block the plans.

He said: "I am very upset about the primary provision.

"If we can have them at primary age then that very often prevents their disability from progressing or getting worse.

"This is doing a disservice to a small number of pupils in Warrington."

He also said getting rid of residential places was a mistake.

"Residential is essential for some pupils to make progress.

"I accept that it is expensive to keep but I think we will regret doing this. It will be very expensive to move pupils out of the area for residential places in the future."

The closure will come into effect from September although pupils already at the school in primary or sixth form education will be able to serve their time.

Clr Sheila Woodyatt, (CON - Lymm) executive member for education, told the meeting at Warrington Town Hall, that she thought the plan offered an exciting opportunity for special needs education in Warrington.

She said more money could now be distributed to other schools and that the council would consider opening a specialist secondary school for special needs students in the future.

She added: "This is a golden opportunity to resolve the inconsistency with funding."