A PLEA has gone in to Thurrock Council to stop the planned sale or possible closure of the Grangewaters activity centre.

The council plans to sell assets to bridge the shortfall in its funding were reported on Thurrock Nub News last month. Grangewaters is included on the list.

At this week's meeting of the authority's children's services overview and scrutiny committee, members heard on Tuesday how important the outdoor education facility, is to the borough's children.

Following the meeting, Chair of the Committee, Labour councillor Sara Muldowney said: "It was wonderful to hear how much our children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) enjoy their regular twice weekly sessions at Grangewaters. Council officers explained that this programme came out of feedback from the last Ofsted inspection that our older SEND children were bored with their previous provision."

"The Committee heard what a powerful tool outdoor education is for all children, and particularly for our SEND children."

"The feedback since adding the regular sessions at Grangewaters has been really positive and a SEND music festival was also held there recently. It was clear from the meeting that Grangewaters is an essential part of Post 16 SEND provision and part of the improvement plan following the disppointing Ofsted Inspection."

"We heard that more Post 16 SEND provision is needed to meet future needs, so I really could not understand the recent decision by Conservative Cabinet to class Grangewaters as surplus to requirements and earmark it for sale."

"As Chair of the Children's Services Committee, I have asked Cabinet to review this misguided decision in light of this report and was glad to have won some cross party support in favour of keeping this much loved outdoor education facility."

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"I hope that Cabinet will listen to the recommendation of the majority of the Children's Services Scrutiny Committee and decide not to sell Grangewaters. I do have concerns that the loss of Grangewaters will put in jeopardy all the hard work staff have made on the council's Ofsted improvement plan just as they are due to be reinspected in the autumn."