School shock as tennis centre is shelved

After nine years of preparation, work was due to start on the major project at Bexhill High School next month.

Instead, supporters of the scheme go into the New Year unsure of its future.

The bombshell news comes after Rother District Council decided to withhold its 500,000 contribution amid fears about financial safeguards.

Despite a shock report showing that Rother's capital programme is more than 11m under-funded, the cabinet was urged by director of services Tony Leonard to confirm its backing, pledged last March.

Mr Leonard warned that if Rother pulled the plug the whole project would fail. But the cabinet decided to "take no further action."

Councillors were seriously concerned that their 500,000 would be lost if the project failed.

High School head Mike Conn said Rother's decision to pull the plug comes "at the 59th minute of the 11th hour."

He is seeking urgent talks to try to resolve the issue.