A REVIEW could see plans for a new post-16 free school in Keighley axed.

And the move has been welcomed by the head of the town's existing college, who claims the proposed new facility would be damaging and a "significant waste of public money".

The Labour Government is reviewing 44 previously-approved free school projects across the country, including the planned New College Keighley – a specialist sixth-form centre.

Condemnation of the review has been voiced by the town's Conservative MP, Robbie Moore.

But Keighley College principal Kevin O’Hare says the decision is "both welcome and essential".

He told the Keighley News: "The current proposals for New College Keighley risk creating an unnecessary surplus of academic post-16 options in the district, while harming existing education providers who already offer learners a suitable mixture of academic and technical provision.

"There has been insufficient consideration of the local context within the plans for this project. New College Keighley's duplication of existing services would threaten the sustainability of current providers, disadvantage local students and represent a significant waste of public money.

"Education leaders across the area have questioned the validity of these proposals and we are hopeful that any review will realise these concerns, and judge that this new selective sixth form would be damaging – rather than helpful – to the young people of Keighley."

Behind the planned free school, which was scheduled to open in 2026, is the New Collaborative Learning Trust.

It already runs New College Bradford, New College Pontefract and New College Doncaster, which the trust says have all been rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted.

New College executive principal Brendon Fletcher says: "We believe that all young people should be able to access good-quality post-16 provision in their local community, including those in Keighley and the surrounding area. Students will benefit greatly from an inclusive and academic sixth-form college, offering a wide range of A-level and equivalent qualifications.

"The case for New College Keighley is as strong as when the project was approved by the Department for Education, if not stronger, and we will continue to work closely with Bradford Council and the Department for Education as it carries out its review in the coming weeks."

Mr Moore says the scheme received cross-party support when it was announced last year, and he describes the review as a "serious misstep".

He has written to the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, outlining his concerns.

"This is a serious misstep by the new Labour Government and risks jeopardising a crucial new sixth-form college for Keighley which would benefit many young people across our area," says Mr Moore.

"Our town – and the wider area – desperately needs projects that will help raise educational standards and create opportunities for our young people. The new college would provide up to 1,000 places and offer specialist academic sixth-form provision, and be run by a trust with a proven track record of success in the Bradford district.

"To now suggest pulling the plug on a project which has cross-party support is completely wrong, and I have written to the Secretary of State urging her to immediately reconsider and allow our new college to proceed.

"The future prospects of our young people should not be up for debate."

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford Council, says: "We have always been supportive of New College and its plans for Keighley.

"We’ve already been in touch with New College and will be working with them on representations to Government."