CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans to build a school in their community have warned they will not give up without a fight.

Hundreds of objections have been submitted to Stoke-on-Trent City Council against plans to build an academy in Adderley Green as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme.

The plans are set to be decided on during a meeting of the council's development management committee and have been recommended for approval.

But members of the Springfield Action Group (SAG), set up to fight the plans, say their work is not over yet.

Group chairman Andy Maskery, of Short Bambury Street, Adderley Green, said: "It is not all over even if they do pass it at planning. Until they lay bricks in that field, we are not stopping.

"There is no one in Adderley Green who actually wants the school built there."

The proposals are to build the academy at a site referred to by the council as Springfield, off Anchor Road.

It is currently an area of green space dotted with trees and hedgerows and also taken up by a football pitch and changing facilities.

Around 330 letters and emails have been sent to the council objecting to issues including the loss of green space, the impact on the environment and impact upon transport due to the increase in traffic.

Three petitions have also been submitted with 925 signatures across all three.

The biggest petition, with 508 signatures, was put together by SAG, which has proposed an alternative site for the school at the end of Mossfield Road.

They claim their site has more access points to dilute traffic congestion, whereas the Springfield one has only one and they think it will cause traffic chaos.

Mr Maskery, aged 42, added: "The group has a number of concerns, but the council doesn't seem to want to listen to us.

"The traffic is going to be absolutely horrendous, it will be complete madness."

Vice chairman Ian Jenkin, aged 69, of Wolstern Road, said: "There are so many different things that are objectionable about the plans that I can't understand the logic of anyone who wants to carry on promoting it, because there are alternatives."

During the consultation process, only two letters were received in support of the plans.

A report produced ahead of the council meeting acknowledges the opposition of residents to the loss of public open space, but states there is adequate other green space locally and other playing areas.

If the green light is given, the new school would have room for up to 1,300 11 to 18-year-olds.

At the same time, it is proposed that Edensor Technology College, in Longton, and Mitchell Business and Enterprise College, in Bucknall, are closed.

The report said: "The vision for the academy is to provide and secure quality education; life-long learning skills and a dynamic curriculum focusing on creativity in the arts and manufacturing.

"The school would encourage and extend the use of facilities to the wider community."

The meeting takes place at the Civic Centre, in Stoke, on Wednesday.