A MASSIVE schools plan has been thrown into doubt after a by-election result increased the chances of a change at the top of Kirklees Council.
Labour’s win in Dewsbury East yesterday means the ruling Conservatives could even be ousted by Christmas.
The opposition parties now have the two-thirds majority needed to pass a vote of no confidence in the Tory administration over the £200m schools plan for north Kirklees.
This means the council is now on a knife-edge and the schools issue could topple the Conservative Cabinet.
Labour leader Clr Mehboob Khan said: “We now have the support of two-thirds of the council on this issue and I would plead with the Tories to listen to what we have to say and change their plans.”
Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens all oppose the Conservative proposals, which would see 11 schools close in north Kirklees.
Clr Khan said: “The fact that the plan contains no provision for a sixth-form college in Dewsbury was a key part of the by-election campaign. Our victory re-inforces our efforts to deliver for the young people of north Kirklees.”
But the Cabinet member for schools, Clr Jim Dodds, rejected the criticism of the proposed Birkenshaw school.
He said: “There’s a need for a new school in that area and we looked at every possible site. There really wasn’t anywhere except Birkenshaw and Batley Girls’ High.
“We thought that having the school in Birkenshaw would give us a better chance at improving community cohesion. The proposal is not to do with Robert Light.”
Clr Dodds added that the by-election result made things more difficult for the Conservatives.
He said: “I’m obviously concerned, but I’m committed to getting the schools plan right and we need to get into discussions with all parties about this.
“The possibility of a vote of no confidence is not top of my agenda. The future of education in Kirklees is top of my agenda.”
Green leader Clr Andrew Cooper said his party would support a no confidence vote because the Conservative plan includes a new school in Birkenshaw, which is Tory leader Clr Robert Light’s ward.
He said: “The Conservatives want to spend £10m on a new school in their leader’s ward which would bring no additional benefit.
“The Birkenshaw issue has got to be addressed for us to support the Conservatives in a no confidence vote.”
Clr Cooper added that the opposition parties could not pass a no confidence vote without the four Green councillors.
He said: “We have the ability to make the difference. We exist to get the best deal for the green agenda, but that doesn’t mean that we ignore education issues.”
Meanwhile Dewsbury MP Shahid Malik has set up a key Government meeting in a bid to fight the schools closure threat.
He met secondary heads and governors last week to thrash out a response to the proposal.
The plan is part of a £500m Kirklees wide revamp and will see some schools in the area expanded.
But 11 might close, including Castle Hall at Mirfield and the sixth form at St John Fisher, Dewsbury.
A working group of educational leaders has been formed and Mr Malik’s office confirmed they would meet the Schools and Learning Minister, Jim Knight, soon.
Mr Malik said the working group had a responsibility to save children’s futures, not just for one generation but for many to come.
The group would be putting together alternative proposals that would include the retention of Castle Hall School and St John Fisher’s sixth form.
The plans would also allocate cash for a special sixth-form centre in Dewsbury and look at an alternative site for the proposed merger of Birkdale and Westborough schools in Dewsbury.
This week councillors voted to reject the shake-up, but the final decision is down to the nine-strong Tory-run Kirklees Cabinet, which will meet in January.
