Deep concerns are being expressed about the damaging implications of major changes to £200 million school building plans across Telford & Wrekin.
The changes recently approved by the Labour administration will see
1. The elimination of 650 secondary school places in Wellington and housing estates built on playing fields in the town.
2. The long awaited Community School in Priorslee being cut and replaced by an unwanted Faith Academy without enough places for the 200 pupils leaving the 2 local Primary Schools.
3. Scrapping of Community facilities for Priorslee
4. Closure of Wrockwardine Wood Arts College, despite its huge improvement and massive local support. Over 1600 objections to the closure from worried parents, students and staff were dismissed out of hand.
5. No plans for any new capacity at Burton Borough despite the potential for over 1100 new homes in Newport.
6. Refusal of £8 million central Government funding to help build a brand new University Technology College (UTC) in the Borough that had the support of The University of the City of Birmingham, Harper Adams Agricultural College and TCAT.
7. Overall cuts of 400 school places across the Borough that will see Telford & Wrekin run out of school places for its growing number of 11-16 year olds by as soon as Autumn 2018
8. Increase council borrowing costing tax payers an extra £333,000.
The Labour Cabinet’s decision to plough ahead with these proposals, regardless of the consequences, has now been put on hold and referred to an all party Scrutiny Committee for consideration.