Stockton Council’s Cabinet will meet in public in Stockton Central Library at 1630 on 14-10-10 to consider a report on the future strategy for building work on schools. Among the recommendations from Officers is one “ that the strategy should not include any further work on option D2 of the four options proposed for investigation to deal with the demands for pupil places in the South of the Borough”. “To rebuild Egglescliffe School on a site in Preston Park…D2…depended on government funding being made available for a footbridge linking the park to Ingleby Barwick, a prospect that seems highly unlikely in the present climate. During the feasibility work undertaken, the location of the proposed bridge also raised significant engineering issues. In addition to this, any additional traffic from a community school facility could not be accommodated without significant upgrading of the road network, which would not be in keeping with the current access or be acceptable onto a principal road such as the A135 Yarm Road. To locate a school within the area of the park would also require the re-location of the existing allotments. These matters pose significant legal, logistical and financial challenges and taken together with the envisaged technical difficulties have led to a view that option D2 should no longer be considered.”
Simplified, this means that Cabinet are being recommended to drop the idea of building the new school in Preston Park. It's too soon to celebrate yet but we are now very, very hopeful.
But this is only the first step on a long road - Egglescliffe school needs a new building fit for the 21st century and Ingleby Barwick needs more secondary school places. Now that the distraction of the park is out of the way (we hope) perhaps efforts can be concentrated on solving those problems. We will certainly be doing our bit.
1 comment:
Dear Cllr Rigg
Ingleby Barwick does not just need more secondary school places it also needs a second school to accommodate over 700 children who currently get bussed of Ingley Barwick at present.
Numbers will increase every year over the next 10 years when a further 1200 houses are built bringing along a further 250-400 secondary children depending who you believe
We would not be even going down this route if the master plan had been put in place.
So i would like to think you will support another school not just more secondary school places. and i would like to think you can concentrate on solving this problem.
Ingleby Barwick Resident
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