PARENTS fighting unpopular plans to change school catchment areas raised the stakes last night with a threat to pour their own money into a legal challenge.

Ollie Tate was speaking for more than 1,300 petitioners at Brighton and Hove City Council’s full council meeting at Hove Town Hall.

He said “Parents are prepared to commit their savings towards a judicial review fund to fight the plan.”

Kevin O’Sullivan, speaking on behalf of 1,456 West Hove parents, also criticised the proposal.

Protesters gathered outside prior to the meeting and packed the public gallery.

Mr Tate said the transfer to secondary school had become “a worrying and upsetting time for a small group of children, faced with the prospect of splitting friendship groups”. He added: “Varndean, Stringer and Blatchington Mill have all offered to accommodate more pupils.

“The working group will tell you their figures don’t stack up, but neither do theirs.”

Conservative councillor Robert Nemeth, said he was embarrassed by the efforts residents had to go to.

He said: “Taking time off work, spending hours researching school catchment law, traipsing around during dark and cold evenings knocking on doors, fundraising for barrister fees and ultimately preparing for a judicial review all take massive amounts of work – none of which should have necessary.”

The changes have been proposed in part because the opening of an anticipated secondary free school has been delayed. A bulge in the school-age population is making popular schools in the centre of the city, especially Dorothy Stringer and Varndean, increasingly oversubscribed while outlying schools have more capacity.

The changes will affect children starting Year 7 in 2019.

A Green amendment to his petition, moved by Councillor Alex Phillips, attempted to force the local authority into action over the petition, but was voted down.

Cllr Phillips also requested the council consider an option to leave catchment areas unchanged.

The council will report on a public consultation next month.

Cllr Dan Chapman, who is chairman of the cross-party working party considering the changes, said no decisions had yet been made and protesters’ views would be taken into account.