PARENTS broke into applause last night as the "flawed" consultation that left troubled Townsend Primary facing closure was condemned.

A council committee voted 7-5 to for a new study into the future of the Bournemouth School.

Whether or not a new consultation will go ahead will now depend on a full council vote.

Townsend councillor Michael Weinhonig said after last night's meeting: "The community feel relieved that finally something has gone their way."

Cllr David Shaw said: "The panel used common sense. The consultation was flawed."

Parents told the special committee their views had not been represented.

They spoke in support of the school at two public consultation meetings - but then found their names were not included in the list of 87 consultation replies.

Parent Katie Spicer broke down in tears as she admitted not sending in the consultation form after attending one of the public meetings.

Ward councillors also said they had to fight for weeks to get the consultation papers into the local library.

And several parents told the committee they had felt reassured by the cabinet member for education Cllr Malcolm Davies' statement in the summer that closure was "not an option."

Committee chair Cllr Claire Smith twice asked him about this statement and Cllr Davies replied: "I was asked are you going to close the school'.

"If I had said we may well do that, people would have been saying that's wrong, you have made your mind up'. At that particular time we had no particular agenda."

Cllr Smith said after the meeting that potential parents were misled was her biggest concern.

The Conservative majority would defeat a full council vote for a new consultation if a party whip is imposed.

Council leader Cllr Stephen MacLoughlin told the Echo: "That is something we will discuss prior to the meeting."

He said it was a good meeting and lessons were learned but he was disappointed at further delay.

The Daily Echo asked Cllr Weinhong that if a future consultation returned 1,000 letters in favour of keeping the school open, would that would affect the council cabinet's final decision. He declined to comment.