Yeadon school closure plan paused

Plans to close Queensway Primary School in Yeadon have been paused after parents launched a legal challenge over Leeds City Council's decision.

Transcript

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