A HEADMASTER today cast doubts on a public consultation process over a plan-ned school closure and said there was only one real option on offer.

Torfaen council's dir-ector for education has told the Argus his auth-ority will not "steam-roller through" Trevethin Community School's closure, and has vowed he is ready to listen to local people.

But one of the heads at the heart of the proposal - Peter Phillips, of West Mon School, has questioned the validity of the consultation.

The council's 'preferred' proposal is to close Trevet-hin school, and send pupils to West Mon and Abersychan Comprehen-sives instead.

The plan has caused uproar in the community, with parents, governors and children taking to the streets of Pontypool for a protest march, as well as demonstrations outside the civic centre.

Mr Phillips, whose school would be in line for a £5.65 million revamp under the proposal, said he does not think all the options have been considered.

He said: "Has the council looked at every way of making Trevethin viable? If it has, it hasn't convinced me.

"Are we absolutely sure there is no way of retaining a community asset, even if we have to rethink the way education in Trevethin is delivered?

"There is only one real option on offer and that is to close Trevethin." Mr Phillips wants the council to look again at ways to keep Trevethin Community School, such as making it into a multi-agency site, incorporating heath and social services.

"I agree that Trevethin can't go on as it is, but have we exhausted all the other options available?" he asked. Torfaen's director for education, Mike de Val said "every comment" made during the consultation meetings would be fed back to National Assem-bly education minister Jane Davidson, who will take the final decision on the school.