COUNTY Hall is considering spending £2.5million on refurbishing the Deanes School... despite estimating it would cost £3million to £4million to bring it up to scratch.

Officers at Essex County Council are recommending the sum be set aside to do up the run down school in Daws Heath Road, Thundersley after the Government’s adjudicator ruled to save it from closure last month.

Surveys of the building suggest investment should be higher however County Hall says it will undertake further studies in the coming year.

It comes as the authority’s ruling Tory administration is also set to approve plans to secure £14million towards rebuilding the Glenwood School in Rushbottom Lane, Benfleet on a new site for 150 pupils as well as 60 pupils with ASD.

The special needs school had been earmarked for a £23million rebuild alongside the Deanes School, in a state-of-the-art new facility on the Deanes School site.

However, come next Tuesday the hunt will begin for a new location for the Glenwood School as the co-location plans with the Deanes School have scrapped.

Senior Tory councillors will also reconfirm a decision to fund the £2million expansions of King John and Appleton Schools to take on an 150 extra pupils each.

The decisions will be made at a cabinet meeting at County Hall in Market Road, Chelmsford on March 25.