Parents' merger ultimatum

Unless officers agree to halt proposals to merge Wisewood and Myers Grove secondaries by the end of today, the Save Our Community Schools parents' group will seek a judicial review of the decision in the High Court.

The battle over the future of the two schools has raged for almost a year, but the Wisewood parents show no sign of giving up the fight.

A final decision to go ahead with the merger seemed to have been taken in July, when one Tory and one independent councillor sided with the Labour group to force through the plans.

That decision reversed a previous vote in council in June, when the Lib Dems succeeded in halting the process.

The party instructed officers to put forward a strategy which would secure the long term future of both schools.

But officers instead insisted the merger was the right thing to do – and that millions of pounds of funding earmarked to rebuild schools across the city would be put at risk if the city defied Government policy on cutting spare pupil places.

The Save Our Community Schools pressure group is now arguing that moves under way to press ahead with the merger are unlawful - because the council cannot legally return to the process which the June vote halted.

Legal giants Irwin Mitchell, who are acting for the parents, insist no merger can go ahead unless the whole procedure starts again from scratch – including a new series of consultations with parents.

SOCS also points out that, before the June vote, Labour councillors had been ready to set up an independent review of the whole situation - plans which were later quickly dropped.

It adds that the report subsequently ordered into the schools' future failed to fully explore all outcomes.

Group spokeswoman Lucy Fairest said the offer of a review had simply vanished once the Labour group had realised it could win a second vote. Today she said a review was "the least we want to see".

"We believe what has happened is unlawful – if a judicial review is held we are confident we will win. If the council does not respond we hope to submit the necessary paperwork next week as time is of the essence.

"As parents we are as determined as ever - in fact more so considering what has happened."

A council spokeswoman confirmed the letter from Irwin Mitchell had been received.

"Our legal advisers are talking to Irwin Mitchell about the possibility of extending the deadline they have set for us, in order to give us time to provide a detailed response," she said.

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