Dear Editor
I read with great interest the letter on Elmfield school site, closed in 2009 and when I read Durham County Council’s 10 year plan this site was included.  As requested I emailed my comments in November 2013 to the CDP consultation on behalf of the West Ward in Newton Aycliffe for a new Primary School to be built.
Elmfield School was demolished due to shortage of children, yet the County Council have put land up for sale to build houses, along with a public building that local councillors are trying for, but the people in the area do not want.
This is Education Land  and a new primary school is what is required as there are primary schools in Newton Aycliffe that have asbestos and this is not safe. Now is the time to rectify the problem and build a new school before we have no land left!
The County Council are building new schools elsewhere so why not in the forgotten town of Newton Aycliffe?
I attended a public meeting on the County Durham Plan Examination in July 2014 chaired by the inspector Harold Stephens. The meeting was very well attended by people that had complaints about the plan but I was the only person there from Newton Aycliffe.
It must be that Aycliffe are happy with this plan but a lot of our Green belt is being taken for housing.
I had the chance to speak with Stuart Timmis Head of Planning and Assets also Councillor Neil Foster who requested I email him all the information. To date I’ve had no reply! Stuart Timmis arranged for one of his managers to meet me 4th September 2014.
I sent a letter to the Department of Committees and Local Government and received a letter informing me what to do next.
Without been disrespectful in any way it is now time for the two County Councillors to represent the views of West Ward instead of trying to do what their political party tells  them to do! Councillor Mike Dixon spent £4700 on a feasibility Study on the future of the site – rate payers money! There is an education covenant on this land and  it is the only site in the West Ward to build a new school. Are we going  to sit back and let them just do what they want as they did with our Care home closures just to build houses? Let’s put right what is wrong with Newton Aycliffe before it is too late.
Once again without been disrespectful in any way, With regard to 106 Agreements and public buildings it is only a few years ago that DCC stopped this funding.
We already have a public building in the West Ward which has received money from  the GAMP fund and our county councillors said in their election leaflet
they were going to do to put things right in West Ward.
There are people from outside Newton Aycliffe coming in to run – I only hope that they can put it right and run it for the people of Newton Aycliffe.
Alderman George Gray,
West Ward Councillor.