CAMPAGNERS fear Eskdale School in Whitby is one step closer to closure, after education bosses decided today to launch a formal consultation over plans for a merger.

North Yorkshire County Council has announced today (Tuesday, February 9) it is to launch a consultation on proposals which would see the school merging with Caedmon College and the closure of the Eskdale site. It would mean a single school in the town for 11 to 19 year olds.

Yesterday, parents and former pupils fighting the plans handed in a petition to the council at County Hall containing more than 5,000 signatures. They say it will leave parents with the choice of just one school in Whitby providing secondary education, with the next nearest schools more than 20 miles away.

The campaign group, Fight to Save Eskdale School fears the consultation would only focus on the school's closure and not consider other possibilities.

The county council says it has long-held the view that a single secondary school would be the best way of providing high quality education for Whitby.

"I am well aware of the great interest and concern about this shown by a large number of people in the Whitby area,” said County Councillor Arthur Barker, North Yorkshire’s executive member for schools.

“I remain concerned about how to ensure that secondary education in the Whitby area is of the highest quality, including a good and viable post-16 offer.

“We need to enable young people in Whitby to stay in the area as they prepare for higher education or employment. This means that in a world where school resources are reducing, it is important to look at how schools can make the best use of their resources to retain and attract good teachers."

The consultation will run from February 16 until April 1 and the council will make a final decision on June 14.