PARENTS campaigning to open a secondary school in Ongar have had a huge boost from a wealthy backer.
The School4Ongar movement, made up of mums, dads and grandparents, is pushing to open a free school in Love Lane, to prevent children having to travel miles out of town to be educated.
The group, which is being run by father-of-three Jeff Banks, from Willingale, has now secured funds from an unnamed donor to carry out a feasibility study and pay for marketing materials.
The 45-year-old believes that around 500 children travel out of Ongar each day to attend schools across other parts of Essex.
He said: "We are obviously very pleased to have someone who has offered support for the campaign.
"It's always difficult for small village groups to realise their projects and cover basic costs.
"But what it now means is that we are able to really do the ground work for the project without asking the individuals who are campaigning to dip into their pockets as well as do the legwork."
A company, LAP Architects, is drawing up draft plans for the school, which will be presented to Ongar Town Council, Essex County Council and Epping Forest District Council.
A second draft will then be presented at a public meeting around Easter time.
Mr Banks said: "I am interested in a new school because I am a local parent and my own children spend just over two hours every day on the school bus going from Ongar to Brentwood and I think that's a terrible shame for children to spend so much time of their young lives going to and from school on the bus."
School4Ongar is calling for parents and anybody else interested in their campaign to register their interest at www.school4ongar.com
