THE chairman of Skelton Youth Centre has condemned the planned closure of the town's virtual learning centre at De Brus School.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has unveiled plans to retain the youth and sports facilities at the school site, which is expected to be demolished and sold to housing developers to make way for the new Freeborough Community College at Brotton.

Residents feared all three facilities would be lost along with the school.

But on Wednesday the council announced it would be submitting a planning application to retain the sports and youth facilities. But the virtual learning centre, with its information and communication technology courses, would have to go.

Coun Steve Kay, cabinet member for education, said: "This has been a long-running and contentious issue, and I am delighted it is being resolved in such a positive way.

"I said from the beginning that we would look to retain what facilities we could, provided the plan for the school was not jeopardised.

"I am only sorry that some people refused to believe me when I said the council has the interests of all its people at heart."

But while Ian Johnson, chairman of the youth centre, welcomed the retention of the sports and youth centres, he was furious the council was proposing to demolish the virtual learning centre.

He said: "I'm very pleased the cabinet, and particularly Coun Kay, realise the absolute disaster they would have caused by the closure of an excellent youth and community centre.

"But the destruction of the virtual learning centre is a sheer nonsense. They are throwing away £250,000.

"I'm sure it won't end there and I'm sure there will be a lot of blood spilt over this."

Coun Kay said the loss of the virtual learning centre was unavoidable, as it was physically attached to the school building.

He said: "It's regrettable but it's got to go, I'm afraid. The SRB money for the centre is due to run out shortly, anyway, and there are alternative ICT facilities in Skelton."