Alternative academy offer still unpopular

PLANS to build an academy school on a controversial gasometer site are likely to be dropped in favour of a new location just a few hundred yards away.

The school replacing Edensor Technology College, in Longton, and Mitchell Business and Enterprise College, in Bucknall, could now be built on greenfield land known as Springfield, off Anchor Road, Adderley Green.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has put forward the alternative site following widespread discontent over the original proposal for an academy off Dividy Road, near Park Hall Country Park, pictured below.

Families said Park Hall was too far away, pupils would have to navigate dangerous roads, and the development could lead to nature, wildlife and leisure areas being destroyed. It would have also cost substantial money to remove an old gasometer on the site.

But today, campaigners said Springfield would be even further away for some students and the rethink failed to address fundamental problems with the reorganisation plans.

Residents want Mitchell to join with Berry Hill High instead, so a new community school can be built for their combined catchment areas, either on the Mitchell site or at Berry Fields.

Yet the council's proposals still include replacing Mitchell and Edensor with one academy, and replacing Berry Hill High with a different academy in Fenton.

Terry Crowe, chairman of governors at Berry Hill High and a member of a recently formed community action group, said: "I'm very upset about it. It's still the wrong site.

"We'll continue our fight. We've got more people supporting our campaign now than we've ever had."

Margaret Lowe, from Willfield Village Forum, added: "The council isn't addressing the fact Mitchell and Edensor don't really go together. It should be Mitchell and Berry Hill."

Ged Rowney, Stoke-on-Trent's director of children and young people's services, said people would be consulted on both the Park Hall and Springfield sites before a final decision is made on the school replacing Edensor and Mitchell.

He added: "Various options were considered, but these two sites are the only ones identified which are suitable to serve the communities whose children will attend the new academy."

As well as Park Hall, there has been a rethink on another aspect of the BSF programme. The plans to close Heathfield School, in Chell Heath, as part of a merger with nearby Middlehurst School would still go ahead.

But instead of remodelling Middlehurst's building to cater for a wider range of special needs, including youngsters with severe learning difficulties, it could be completely rebuilt.