A vital step to putting children's education first in Whiteley has been achieved today by
the Conservatives controlling Winchester City Council.
The council has decided it is prepared, in principle, to sell the land at Meadowside to the county council for a new primary school, subject to a number of caveats.
The new Tory administration listened very carefully to the concerns of local people about the loss of playing fields and facilities at the site.
In response, it will demand that the county council replace all recreational facilities and other green space lost, if the school is built at Meadowside.
The county council has a site at Leafy Lane in the village, which can be used to replace facilities taken from Meadowside.
Meadowside is now the only viable site as Portsmouth Diocese has said it will not fund a school on land identified previously to the north of Whiteley.
An alternative site owned by Universities Superannuation Service (USS) was rejected earlier by the county council.
Leader of the city council George Beckett said: "Parents have been desperate for a primary school in Whiteley and we want to do everything to make sure it happens.
"If we refused point blank to consider selling the land at this stage, there would be no school built for the foreseeable future.
"There are strong arguments about where to put this school, but it seems to me there is no argument that the community believes one is needed.
"Our plan allows the county council to come up with proposals that satisfy the understandable concerns that too much is going to be lost in return for a school built at Meadowside.
"We have tried hard to balance the needs of those who want to play sport in Whiteley with the needs of local children.
"For the children it's an issue of being taught in a school in Whiteley or not. We believe we have to put the children first.
"After that, it is our commitment that Whiteley will have adequate sports provision and that is something the county council will have to provide."
Note:
The school will only be built subject to the county council obtaining planning permission and Winchester City Council being satisfied that its conditions have been met.
31st May 2006