Campaigners today failed to persuade Shirehall leaders to drop plans to merge two primary schools near Shrewsbury – despite turning out in force to hammer home their point.

The county council cabinet agreed to proceed to a formal six-week consultation on a proposal to amalgamate the Oakland Community and Longmeadow CE primary schools at Bayston Hill.

More than 20 Oakland campaigners with green T-shirts and balloons lobbied councillors before today’s vital meeting.

The cabinet is having to decide whether to move forward with each of eight proposed amalgamations, affecting 16 schools in total.

Oaklands parent Judy Fletcher made an emotional plea directly to councillors.

She said the authority would not only be closing the school she wanted her daughter to attend, but was not offering a suitable alternative. Mrs Fletcher said: “The nearest other community school would be five miles away.”

The choice facing her was whether to send her daughter to the new school after the merger, but which would have a completely different ethos, or send her to a school out of the area.

Cameron Taylor, chairman of the Oakland governors, said the village had voted in a referendum overwhelmingly in favour of keeping both schools.

But Ann Hartley, cabinet member for children’s services, proposed the consultation go ahead.

But she stressed: “This is not about making a final decision. It is keeping the debate on the table.”

Mr Taylor later said he was calling a parents’ meeting on Thursday to discuss the course of action.

l Picture – See Page 16