CAMPAIGNERS are claiming a victory for people power over plans to save a sports hall and youth centre from demolition.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council says it has been working to ensure the retention of the sports hall and the youth centre at Skelton when the old De Brus School building is demolished. It is hoped that the land will be sold for housing to help to fund the Freebrough Community College's new school building at Brotton.

The council's project team is submitting a planning application, seeking to retain both buildings.

It means the sports fields can continue to be used, with changing rooms available at the nearby sports hall, which will be run by the council's youth service.

The council's cabinet member for education, Steve Kay, said: "This has been a long-running and contentious issue and I am absolutely delighted it is being resolved in such a positive way. Now everything depends on getting planning permission.

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

"We have not declared war on Skelton, as has been suggested, and 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.

"A lot of factors have had to be taken into consideration and this is why the plans have taken longer to come to fruition than we would normally expect."

Opposition Labour group leader Coun George Dunning said: "We thought the coalition were ignoring local opinion, however the vigorous campaign waged by the Save our Community campaign, and their local councillors, has achieved a U-turn at the 11th hour."