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.

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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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.