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Nottingham City Council has said that it will take “whatever actions are necessary” to challenge the Labour government’s decision to call time on the £55bn Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

The council said it has begun legal proceedings against the decision, which was made by former Education Secretary Michael Gove earlier this year.

Under Gove’s plans to cut the scheme, funding which had been reserved to develop two of the city's schools has been axed.

The council said that the decision was “irrational, in arbitrarily using 1 January 2010 as a cut-off date for stopping funding of BSF projects”.

Councillor David Mellen, Nottingham City Council’s portfolio holder for Children’s Services, said: “The Council has explored a number of options in order to secure funding to carry out the planned remodelling of Top Valley and Trinity schools which have been stopped.

Mellen said that a petition of over 5,000 signatures had been handed in asking the council to take action against the government’s decision to cancel funding for Top Valley and Trinity Schools.

He added: “We have sought counsel’s advice on whether to take legal action to resolve this dispute and our decision to push ahead with legal proceedings has not been taken lightly. We would have much preferred a negotiated solution however I have not received a response to my request to meet with Mr Gove.”

Gove axed the BSF initiative in July, cancelling projects at more than 700 schools.