DUDLEY Council has turned down a £0.5m lifeline, promised by Dudley Headteachers, to reconsider a £200m Building Schools for the Future application.

At a special meeting of the Select Committee on Children’s Services, education chiefs were grilled by committee members on their recent decision during a 22-minute Cabinet meeting to delay applying for BSF funds for four years.

Following a call-in of the decision by five members of the Select Committee, children’s service officers were quizzed during the heated three-hour debate on their reasoning behind the recent move.

In October, the council decided to defer applying for the forthcoming wave seven, claiming it could not afford to continue with the bid in the current economic climate.

The officers said that if the proposed application went ahead then set-up costs could run into millions. It was envisaged up front costs could be around £3 million.

However during the meeting, the Dudley Secondary Heads Forum, pledged to donate £500.000 towards the costs, in a bid to get officers to reconsider their decision, claiming “we believe if we are not in now than there is not much chance in the future.”

Chairman of the Forum, Redhill Headteacher, Brian Heavisides told members: “As a group of teachers we are totally dedicated to BSF and we wish to try and help find an answer to get ahead in the next wave.

“We all agreed unanimously to try and help the council through this issue.

He added: “We decided we have some funds that could be redirected to the council. We could and would find half a million pounds towards the bid.

“The Headteachers have a great passion and confidence in the children of Dudley. The time for change has certainly arrived.

He continued:“I do believe there are no more precious an asset than our children.

“I don’t want them to turn round and say we missed that opportunity just for two million pounds.”

However Liz Walker, cabinet member for children’s services, said that a bid for a later wave is hopefully to be submitted by the end of the week.

She said:” There is no two ways about it, we are submitting a bid, we hope for wave eight and beyond.”

She added that if they went ahead with the wave seven bid in the current economic climate, the council would probably have to make 90 members of teaching staff redundant, as well as close schools.

Despite thanking the Heads Forum for its cash offer, officers said the council could not afford to find the rest of the funds.

On a majority vote of eight committee members to five, the decision was made to accept the cabinet decision and not proceed with the wave seven bid.