COUNCILLORS have finally agreed that a new single-site Freebrough College should be built in Brotton.

The college is currently split across three locations in Loftus, Skelton and Brotton, with Skelton originally being the site of choice for the 1,000-pupil school.

The cost of the new school is understood to be £12m to £15m, with construction work expected to start next year, and an expected opening date in 2005.

Funding will come from the Government and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.

Coun Steve Kay, cabinet member for education, said: "The prospect of a new secondary school was dangled before the people of East Cleveland for far too long by the former Labour administration. But it has taken the new coalition only three months to get things moving." He said the council chose Brotton because of its central location at the heart of East Cleveland and because it represents Best Value for the council when compared with Labour's preferred site at Skelton.

But not everyone is happy with the new location for the school.

Ian Jeffrey, former lead member for lifelong learning and leisure under the Labour administration, said: "We preferred Skelton but we knew at the time that there were a number of points of detail to be examined.

"There will certainly be issues for Brotton with it being on the edge of a large housing estate."

Labour councillor Dave McLuckie, who represents Skelton, said : "It doesn't have the infrastructure to take the traffic generated by a thousand pupils. It will be an intolerable traffic nightmare for the people of Brotton. I think the Skelton site will be sold off for housing and I don't think people will be happy at all about that."

Kay Mount, assistant director of education at the council, said the land at Skelton was unsuitable, as tests showed it had a high peat content, which would bump up construction costs.

She would not say if the land at Skelton would be sold for housing, but said it would no longer be needed for educational purposes.

Kay Taylor, whose three daughters have attended the Brotton school, campaigned for the new single site college to be built there. She said: "I think it's what most people want."

The council will be inviting bids for the design and construction of the new college.