MORE than 300 residents attended a packed public meeting to show their unity against a proposal to build a school in a popular park.

People of all ages struggled to fit inside a crowded Trinity Methodist Church, in Witham Avenue, Egglescliffe, on Tuesday night to discuss the idea of rebuilding Egglescliffe School in Preston Park.

Stockton Borough Council is carrying out feasibility studies on a number of sites across the borough to find a potential new site for the school.

The plans are part of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme.

The council has secured £180m in funding to rebuild or refurbish 12 schools across the borough. But three others – All Saints’ CE School, in Ingleby Barwick; Conyers School, Yarm; and Egglescliffe School, Eaglescliffe – are not yet included.

Officers are working on plans for the remaining schools in an attempt to have them included in the most recently agreed phase of work.

A range of options are being looked at, including increasing the number of places at All Saints’ School by 300, but residents in Ingleby Barwick say it is not enough. In addition, about 15 sites are being look at to find a new school site. Preston Park has received the most public opposition so far.

Speaking at the meeting, Tim Gibbons, of Eaglescliffe, said: “I was under the impression the park was left to the people. When Yarm School wanted to relocate, it was knocked back by Stockton Borough Council.

Now it has produced fantastic plans to redevelop on its own site; why shouldn’t Egglescliffe do the same thing.”

Carol Dennis, whose children attend Egglescliffe School, said: “I do not want the school in Preston Park – by the time they take the land required for the school, there wouldn’t be a park.

“A school should be built in Ingleby Barwick – they are planning to build 1,000 homes over there; what about the children going to move into the homes.”

Eaglescliffe councillor Maureen Rigg said yesterday: “Residents are very much opposed to the site as they don’t want Preston Park to be built on.

“We have handed in a petition with more than 2,700 signatures on and more are still coming in. People from all over the North-East have signed it as they love the park.

“It is a unique area for Stockton, which is enjoyed by people from all over the country, and we don’t think this should change.

“We hope they will discard Preston Park as an option, but if they don’t we will continue to fight it.”

Lionel Danby, project director for BSF at the council, said no decisions had been made.

He said. “We are making a shortlist for members of cabinet to decide which sites they want us to look at further. No decisions will be made until the middle of the year and then we will have to look to secure funding for the plans, as at the moment these schools do not sit within the BSF scheme.”

Members of the council cabinet will meet on February 11.