Labour Leaders in Gateshead have proposed closing 3 local primary schools – at Lindisfarne, Windmill Hills and Tyne View. Not surprisingly, local people object to the closures, and in the past the whole Council has been asked to decide on the future of such schools.
But Councillors have been told that the final decision will be taken by the ‘cabinet’ of 11 Labour Councillors – with no opposition councillors allowed to vote, and even the councillors from the affected communities might be excluded.
Policies brought in by Gateshead’s own Labour councillors means that most Councillors may not be allowed to vote on these key decisions.
Liberal Democrats want this situation reversed, and have called on the Cabinet to let the whole Council make the decision.
Lib Dem campaigner Susan Craig said, "Small schools can work well and young children shouldn’t be forced to travel long distances and across very busy roads in order to get to school. It is a real disgrace if Labour aren’t even prepared to put their plans to the whole Council."
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