Controversial academy plan could face delays (MAP)
PLANS to build a controversial academy may be delayed after it emerged a Government minister will have to decide if the school can be built on green belt land.
The proposed new Park Hall school would cater for 1,200 secondary pupils from as far afield as Longton, Meir, Weston Coyney, Meir Hay, Bentilee and Bucknall.
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PLANS: The proposed Park Hall site off Dividy Road. The gasometer will have to be bought and decommissioned. Below, Edensor Technology College – one of four schools which Park Hall will replace.
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MAPPED OUT: The proposed sites for the new academy and their pros and cons. Below, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn. Graphic: Vicky Jackson
But if Stoke-on-Trent City Council presses ahead with using its preferred site, off Dividy Road, the matter will need to be referred to Environment Secretary Hilary Benn for approval.
As well as getting permission to use green belt land there, it will cost extra money to buy and decommission an old gasometer on part of the site.
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Hover your mouse over the pins to find out more information about each site
Officials have now lined up a possible alternative location – currently home to the Willfield Centre, on the edge of Bentilee – in case they need to rethink their plans.
But they have rejected another three potential development spots, as well as land at four existing schools which are due to close to make way for the academy. Today, Terry Crowe, chairman of governors at Berry Hill High – one of the schools facing closure – said the community is stepping up its fight against the plans.
He added: "Education has been delivered in this area for decades. We are asking for no more than having a school in the middle of the community. If they shove it at the end of Willfield or Park Hall, it's not the right place."
Both Berry Hill High and Mitchell Business and Enterprise College, in Bucknall, believe the new school should be built at Mitchell's site and have started a fresh petition to try to force the issue to be reconsidered.
Anti-academy campaigners are also calling for it to be a community school, rather than one sponsored by an organisation with few ties to the area.
The new academy is due to replace Berry Hill, Mitchell, Edensor Technology College, in Longton, and Longton High, in Meir.
The city council today stressed that referring the matter to the Environment Secretary would only delay construction work, not the opening of the proposed academy in September 2011.
It is likely to initially operate from existing buildings, probably at Edensor. Pupils would then move to the new multi-million pound building when it is ready.
Building work is supposed to start in 2010 and most of the rejected sites, which are on council-owned land, would have been available to build on during this timescale.
Tony Walley, chairman of governors at Longton High, said he believes the local authority will build at Willfield instead.
He added: "I would much prefer to have the school at Willfield.
"The gasometer site is a dangerous place for kids, with a busy junction. I don't think it's viable."
The council's children and young people's overview and scrutiny committee will discuss the plans at a meeting on Monday.
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by Julie, Trentham
Monday, November 17 2008, 3:32PM
“Also strange isn't it, Noddy Holder, that no sooner a new contributor, Mr Enoeda crops up than BARRY W MIDS fails to make a comment -usually never one to miss a chance to praise academies while taking a pop at Trentham. Coincidence??”
by st@trentham, Trentham
Monday, November 17 2008, 10:16AM
“Karen, you will be happy to know that not only do I know that your comments are correct, but the city council now also agrees with your statement. As Jim Knight stated in his debate with Rob Flello and Mark Fisher, there will be in excess of 14,500 children in Stoke secondary schools by 2019.
And who gave this figure to Mr. Knight......Serco and our city council.
So, Mr Enoeda, your argument needs to be with the city council and central government, because Karen is just quoting them in her comments.”
by Noddy Holder, the 70's
Sunday, November 16 2008, 8:53PM
“Strange how Mr Enoeda of Penkhull, a new name to the education debate on this site if I'm not mistaken, has taken so much time to research Serco's statistics when he is so clearly in favour of their plans..so elated was he by the news that academies would appear in the city that he decided to check their figures. Shame his research is below the standards that this city's kids demand..regardless of the figures debate, does he believe that our future generations will benefit from Serco's mad professor plans..or is he just another from inside the inner sanctum who are that desperate to prop up their fatally flawed and unwanted plans they have now resorted to spending their valuable time defending Serco on this website?”
by Mr Enoeda, Penkhull
Sunday, November 16 2008, 2:49PM
“KP of Trentham - Not sure where you get your ridiculous statistics from - Data from the Office for National Statistics (*), Child Benefit Data, NHS data on births and GP registrations as well as LEA data (both Staffordshire County County and City Council - to take account of cross-border movements) does not support your case at all.
(*) - Please don't bother quoting ONS projections for the city's population in 2019 - they have been proven to be wholly inaccurate every year for the past two decades.
As for Birches Head / Holden Lane the development of more than 1,000 houses in the Norton / Baddeley Green area over the last 5 years has led to siginificant population shifts across the city. (Not something Paul of Trentham considered in his ill-informed comment about something that happened at Willfield 20 years ago).”
by Helen, Longton
Sunday, November 16 2008, 12:46PM
“Oh, what a surprise, the new Academy may have to be built upon Willfield!!!
Those of us who have campaigned against the location of this school have known all along this is exactly where it would end up.
The gasometer site has only ever been mentioned so they could call the site 'Parkhall' and not mention 'Bentilee' because it sounds better.
Surprised, shocked? No! It's only going to end up where we knew it would - Willfield, Bentilee.”