Rutland County Council in partnership with Tresham College and Casterton Business and Enterprise College will replace The Rutland College with Rutland County College, with Casterton as the admissions authority. It will eventually build a new college to replace The Rutland College site.

After a debate lasting nearly three hours, councillors agreed by a majority vote to approve the recommendations to extend the age range at Casterton from 11 to 16 to 11 to 19, that the council becomes a member of the Rutland County College Trust and that the council agrees to meet any shortfall in capital resources to fund the replacement facility.

Seven councillors voted against the recommendations while 15 backed them.

Catmose College and Uppingham Community College had called to be part of the proposals but an ammendment to the recommendations put forward by Coun Richard Gale (Ind) calling for a brief delay in making a decision while the three colleges worked together was overturned.

After the meeting the principal of Uppingham Community College Jan Turner said she was "disappointed but not surprised" by the councillors decision.

Mrs Turner said: "I was very disappointed. I thought that common sense would prevail."

Coun Heather Wells (Con), the porfolio holder responsible for children, said there was no other option on the table.

"In September Tresham will be gone. If we defer a decision today this will leave us with no post-16 provision. That is the reality," she said.

For the full story see the Rutland and Stamford Mercury, out Friday.