Legal action is being considered by a campaign group in a bid to stop the closure of the treasured High Borrans. The Save High Borrans Campaign has written to both the council’s Mayor and chief executive to say the group has “resolved to obtain independent legal advice” to review the decision to close the beloved outdoor education centre. The group goes on to say that the advice would also consider whether grounds exist to pave the way for a judicial review.
The campaign’s correspondence states: “No decision has been taken regarding legal proceedings. The purpose of this advice is to ensure the campaign fully understands its legal position before determining any future course of action.”
The letter goes on to say the group “remains committed to working constructively with the council” to find an alternative to closure and has requested a meeting with the local authority’s senior leadership. The group was formed last week, comprising Green and Conservative councillors, a lone Labour councillor, the GMB Union, residents, and the representatives of the Friends of High Borrans charity.
Since announcing plans to shut High Borrans, the council has maintained that the site is no longer financially viable, citing a £3mn repair bill and a declining number of pupils attending it.
A spokesperson for the council’s ruling Labour group said: “Everyone understands why people feel passionately about High Borrans, but emotions alone cannot pay a £3m-plus repair bill. Because the centre operates at a loss, that investment and the ongoing borrowing costs would fall directly on the council’s General Fund, taking money away from essential frontline services that every resident relies upon.
“Outdoor education is not ending, with alternative providers having sufficient capacity to accommodate North Tyneside schools. The fact that fewer than half of our schools now use High Borrans speaks for itself.
“Long before this debate began, many schools had already voted with their feet and chosen other providers. What has become increasingly clear is that despite weeks of headlines, AI-generated template letters, social media campaigns, and even legal threats, those leading this campaign have still failed to produce a single credible, costed proposal showing how they would fund the £3mn-plus repairs or turn High Borrans into a financially sustainable operation.
“It is easy to oppose difficult decisions, but unless campaigners can explain where the money would come from, how they would stop the centre running at a loss, and which services they would cut to pay for it, they are offering false hope rather than real solutions.”
Rebecca Wall, Director of Children’s Services, said: “We have acknowledged receipt of the call for reconsideration and will respond in due course.”
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