Plans to close Queensway Primary School in Yeadon have been paused after parents launched a legal challenge over Leeds City Council's decision.
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00:00Leeds City Council has paused plans to press ahead with a formal notice to close a beloved primary school after parents sought legal action.
00:08Queensway Primary School in Yeadon has been the subject of an ongoing battle as campaigners fought plans to shut the site.
00:15The council claimed the move was necessary because of falling birth rates and financial pressures,
00:20but parents argued that the closure would have a considerable impact on pupils with special educational needs.
00:26Earlier this year, the authority held a three-week consultation on the plans
00:30and had been expected to proceed with the next formal stage of the process, but the closure plans are now on hold.
00:36A spokesperson said the council has informed law firm Erwin Mitchell that it will not issue a statutory notice
00:42in reliance on the January to February consultation and the decision of the executive board from the 12th of March.
00:49They've said they will communicate next steps, including directly communicating with stakeholders, shortly.
00:54Parents of pupils at the school, where more than half of children have special educational needs and disabilities,
01:00had instructed specialist education lawyers to review the legality of the council's decision-making process.
01:07They raised particular concerns about the potential loss of vital support for SEND pupils
01:12and claimed the local authority had failed to properly consider the impact of closure on vulnerable children.
01:19Campaigners also argued that the consultation process was inadequate,
01:22describing the three-week period as not a proportionate amount of time to properly involve all stakeholders.
01:29Erwin Mitchell said they will now be taking steps to analyse the decision-making process
01:34to determine if all the correct steps have been followed and the implications considered.
01:38The council originally proposed closing the school in 2022 before reversing the decision after a backlash.
01:44The council of the council of the council in 2022 before the council of the council of the council were