PLANS to split £15 million between secondary schools have been sent back to the drawing board.

Monday evening’s meeting of Brighton and Hove City Council’s schools committee rejected plans to divide the money in large round sums to six of the seven local authority schools.

It comes after the council met parents’ demands to allocate funding immediately to Dorothy Stringer and Varndean, to help accommodate children who would otherwise have missed out on places.

Councillor Vanessa Brown, who led the scrutiny of the plans, told The Argus: “I think it was all done in too much haste and there was insufficient consultation with schools.

“I wasn’t happy to agree these recommendations when there was no detail. I wanted to know how the schools were going to spend the money.”

The committee agreed unanimously to give the necessary £2 million to Varndean and Stringer, but the remaining £13 million will be allocated later pending business plans put forward by schools.

The headteacher of Cardinal Newman School, Hove, which had not been allocated any money, said it was the best result the school could have hoped for.

Committee chairman Councillor Dan Chapman said: “After debate, all committee members agreed that we need more detail before agreeing the allocation of the rest of the funding available.

“The needs of all schools will be considered and more engagement will take place with schools, with oversight from members, before a more detailed report is published later in the year.”

Varndean was earmarked £5 million, Hove Park was allocated £5m, for Blatchington Mill School half a million was recommended. Patcham High and Longhill each had £1 million recommended.