Overcrowded School Buildings In The 50s

This topic was raised in the House of Commons on 26/05/1960. The records show that Mr Blyton put it to the then minister, Sir David Eccles, that in light of the fact that his Department had cut the building programme for Durham County Council over the previous seven years he should therefore be decent and apologise to that council.

Sir David Eccles revealed that nine secondary Modern schools schools had been deleted from the 1956/7 building programme, namely: Hartlepool, Stockton, West Auckland, Egglescliff, Peterlee, Spennymoor, Durham, Ushaw Moor and Seaham Harbour.

In the event the Ushaw Moor building was started a little later and was up, ready and open in early April 1959. Harry Barlow had taken us to  have a look around it in about autumn 1958.

WB