A CAMPAIGN has been launched to retain a redundant school building as a community resource after a final decision on its immediate future was made last week.
Northumberland County Council's executive agreed that Chatton C of E First School should officially close from the end of August.
The school – which last year celebrated its 150th anniversary – has had no pupils since December when the eight young
sters left to start classes in Wooler and Belford at the beginning of the year.
School governors initiated the closure in October last year because of falling pupils numbers.
Tillside Parish Council, which opposed the closure, now wants to ensure that some benefit comes to the community.
Residents have previously spoken about the detrimental impact that the closure would have on the community.
Parish council chairman Coun Neil Douglas said: "It was a foregone conclusion and it's not good.
"However, one thing we will try to do is fight for the school to be kept as a community area."
The county council published statutory closure notices in March after a six-week consultation found that of those who responded, parents, school governors and school staff supported the proposal to close.
The majority of those who responded to the consultation who were not a parent, governor or member of staff did not support the proposal.
But, as previously reported in the Gazette, the parish council said forms were not sent to residents and the figures did not include letters sent to the authority.
Coun Douglas added: "You don't hear the kids shouting and screaming at playtime or in the mornings or afternoons.
"We do hold a Wednesday afternoon homework class in the old parish hall and the kids come to that but apart from that it's quiet.
"It's going to have a big effect. Very few houses are affordable, very few are to rent and who's going to come into a village who has kids with no school?"
Five of the pupils transferred to schools at Wooler and three went to Belford at the end of last year.
The site is owned by Northumberland Estates.
A spokeswoman for the estates said they had been approached about the possibility of the school being used as a community centre.
"It is too early to say what the final outcome will be," she said.
A spokesman for the county council said the future use of the school was an issue between the community and the landowners.
The full article contains 413 words and appears in Northumberland Gazette newspaper.
