A NEW steering group led by parents has won the support of Ledbury Town Council in its battle to prevent the closure of Eastnor and Bosbury Primary Schools.

Under draft proposals put out and now withdrawn by Herefordshire Council, to allow further consultation to take place, Eastnor would be shut and its children would go to Bosbury.

This would effectively create a new school at Bosbury.

The consultation process will last until September, but parents are still uneasy as to where it is going.

Lois Owen, a parent with two children at Eastnor, addressed Ledbury's full council at a meeting on Thursday, January 31, on behalf of a new steering group.

She said: "We want to know that the town council is behind us. I am here to ask for your support.

"The proposals came as a total shock. The children were distressed already, following the death of their head teacher last year, and this was a new blow to them."

The steering group plans to keep up pressure on the authority this year, with demonstrations when necessary, as well as closely monitoring the situation and making sure the views of parents are known and taken into account Several town councillors suggested that Herefordshire Council should sent a letter of apology to the schools concerned, for all the distressed caused.

Cllr Peter Watts, both a town and a Herefordshire councillor, said he was pleased that the draft proposals had been put on hold.

He said: "It's been a total cock-up and I am only to happy to see them kicked out the door."

Ledbury mayor Kay Swinburne, also a Herefordshire councillor, questioned whether Bosbury was a suitable location, in terms of geography, for a new school that would be a merger between Eastnor and Bosbury Primaries.

She said: "There is an obstacle between the amalgamation of the two schools, and that is called Ledbury town!"

Concerning the consultation period, and the call from the steering group for support, she said: "It is important between now and September that people's views are known, before the next document is produced."

Cllr Jayne Roberts said of the proposed closures: "We are not the only county to which this is happening, so I think this is Government led."

Cllr Tony Bradford praised the steering group for its determination to keep up the pressure.

He said: "It's wonderful that people have started to fight for their rights."