COUNTY council education officials have voted to close a Congleton high school despite growing opposition from parents across the town.

A county committee met on Wednesday morning to discuss the organisation of secondary education in the town and agreed that Westlands School should close and be sold.

Pupils will move to new schools on either the Heathfield or Dane Valley High Schools sites which will receive money from the sale for extensions and improvements.

New facilities at Dane Valley would include a sports hall, synthetic pitch and specialist classrooms while at Heathfield they would include increased playing field facilities and the removal of mobile classrooms.

Parents from all three high schools have organised protest meetings in the last few months to gauge support for keeping the school open.

They are also concerned about the potential increase in traffic if pupils are two schools rather than three.

And in the last week a petition was organised which has already gathered 1,000 names and another public meeting is planned for next week.

Parent Ken Toft, who attended the meeting along with other parents, said it was not just the fact that Westlands would close but also the way parents feel it has been handled.

"We are not going to let this rest, we are going to carry the fight on," he added.

"I've had parents from all over on the phone for half an hour about this situation but we need more people to be more aware.

"The council think there has been opposition so far but there will be some right opposition now."

Notices will now be published by the council to propose the closure of the schools and establishment of two new schools in September 2000.

Anyone who wished to oppose the plan will have to write to the Secretary of State for Education who will make the final decision.

- The public meeting will be held at Astbury Village Hall on February 11 from 8pm to 11pm.

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