A COUNCIL is pressing ahead with plans to redevelop a leading Durham school, despite being denied Government funding.

Durham County Council has earmarked £70,000 to pay a specialist consultant to draw up a planning brief to bring Durham Johnston School's buildings together on one site.

The council had hoped to tap into the Government's Building Schools for the Future programme, which could provide £150m of improvements to schools elsewhere in the county.

But the priority of the programme, set to run for ten to 15 years, is schools with poorer performance in more deprived areas.

Lobbying by the council and the city's Labour MP, Gerry Steinberg, failed to win the school's early inclusion in the programme.

Durham Johnston is regarded as one of the best-performing comprehensives in the country.

But its ageing buildings are spread over two sites two miles apart.

It seems as if any redevelopment will be a Public Private Partnership in which the council and a company, or consortium, jointly own the buildings.

The consultant will take the proposal for a full or partial replacement of the school through to the appointment of a developer.

Councillor Neil Foster, cabinet member for education, said: "The condition of the Durham Johnston School buildings mean we can't wait until the school qualifies for inclusion in the Government's programme.

"Some classrooms have already had to be taken out of service and the condition problems are having an impact on staff morale and pupils' attainment.

"The premises will deteriorate further and faster without a permanent solution.

"We have tried unsuccessfully to persuade the Government to widen the criteria for eligibility in its Building Schools for the Future programme so that the Johnston School could be included in our priority bid."

Plans to consolidate the split site school on a single campus have been discussed for years, but lack of money has stopped them progressing.

The council recently pledged to look at every possible way of redeveloping the school as soon as possible.

"Now we have backed-up that pledge with hard cash," said Coun Foster.

"This is an important step forward and one that shows we mean business.

"The consultant is being appointed because council officials are stretched with other school development and improvement plans."