Education watchdogs will not re-examine the county council’s plans to merge Lydbury North School and neighbouring Clunbury despite villagers fighting to keep both schools.

The county council cabinet unanimously agreed last week to publish statutory notices to close Lydbury and expand Clunbury to 120 places under the authority’s plans to tackle falling pupil numbers.

Opposition Lib Dem councillors considered “calling-in” the decision so that the proposed merger would be investigated by the council’s children and young people’s services scrutiny panel.

But today Nigel Hartin, county councillor for the two villages, said it had been decided not to do this.

He said many campaigners were feeling “worn out” by their fight to keep both schools open and added: “Also if we pushed it to scrutiny we know what the response of cabinet would be, as they have ignored everything before.”

But a formal complaint will be made to the council that in making its decision, the cabinet breached one of the articles of the authority’s constitution.

A six-weeks consultation is to be held before the cabinet makes a final decision on the plan in September.

Councillor Ann Hartley, member for children’s services, has said that an amalgamation will result in “massive capital investment” on the Clunbury site.

The proposal has been fiercely opposed particularly in the Lydbury North area, and complaints have been submitted to the local government ombudsman.