Hexham east end neighbours protest on lost playing field

Maureen Harding, 44, lives in Bywell Avenue and her rear garden backs onto the field. She described the loss of the field as a tragedy and said it should be reconsidered.

She said: "It serves the whole of the east end of Hexham and has done for the 16 years I have lived here.

"It is vital that children have somewhere to play and let off steam - they are always on about childhood obesity and then they take away something like this.

"Without it, you will either have kids playing in the streets or stuck indoors. It is a real shame."

The mother-of-three said the nearest alternative play areas for youngsters would be the Sele park - a lengthy walk and several busy roads away.

She said: "There was a meeting when we went to see the plans and they look horrendous - we were gobsmacked by what we saw.

"The council are saying that there has not been much objection following that, but that is simply not true. It seems to have been done on the quiet, without really asking what we think. People do support having a new school - I have an autistic daughter who had to travel out of the county to be educated, so I know how important this is. But we are against them putting it here."

The two-storey school will have better facilities and more capacity than the one it replaces. With the number of pupils attending increasing to 80 from 60, it will mean more children from the area can be catered for without having to travel outside the area. It will also have a car park with more than 40 spaces.

A county council planning and regulation committee approved the project last April. Tynedale planners raised no objections.

A county spokeswoman said all consultation regulations had been observed.

She said: "We appreciate the concerns of residents and would like to reassure them that once the old school building is demolished, the public will have access to green space on the site."

Without it you will either have kids playing in the streets or stuck indoors."