A FINAL attempt to retain a £450,000 grant for Newton Aycliffe is to be made next week.

John Newbould was furious when Sedgefield Borough Council turned down his application for a nursery in the town.

Planning officials said the proposed site in Horndale Avenue was unsuitable because it formed part of the award-winning Greenfield Butterfly Meadow.

They also said parents would have to cross a busy road to reach the nursery, although Mr Newbould argued that there was an underpass nearby.

The plan has been allocated £450,000 through the Government's Neighbourhood Nursery Initiative (NNI), but that is dependent on it being built by next March.

Mr Newbould plans to appeal against the decision, but only if he can gain an extension to the deadline, because otherwise the funding will be withdrawn.

He is travelling to London on Tuesday to meet NNI representatives, but he has been told he will need ministerial approval to extend the deadline.

If all goes well, Mr Newbould feels he has good grounds for an appeal, saying that the plans submitted to councillors by officers were wrong.

He says the original design of the building had an ecclesiastical look, which was later altered, but it was this original plan which councillors saw.

He also says there was no reference to an underpass on the information given to members.

Mr Newbould said: "If they can extend the deadline then I will appeal, because I think I have been treated deplorably. But if they cannot, then it is a little bit pointless."

Councillor Bill Blenkinsopp, who is supporting Mr Newbould's bid, said: " Newton Aycliffe can't afford to lose that sort of money, and apart from that, we would also lose at least 25 full-time jobs and possibly another ten to 15 part-time jobs.