School plans stir up protest to save field
Last updated 11:23, Friday, 13 June 2008
ANGRY residents say they haven’t been consulted properly about a £6 million school that is about to be built on their doorsteps.
Plans for a new complex to house the staff and pupils of Hexham Priory School have been given the go-ahead.
The two-storey building is needed to cater for the rising number of children with severe learning difficulties, say officials.
But residents of Bywell Avenue and Radcliffe Road, which overlook the Dene Park site, are furious, said mother-of-three Maureen Harding.
The field next to the school’s current building is well used by local children playing, but it will be swallowed up by the development.
“Where are our children going to play now? They are going to end up just playing on the streets,” she said.
Dozens of residents gathered on the field last Thursday to protest.
Despite two public meetings held last autumn, which were promoted in the Hexham Courant, and letters notifying residents about a planning exhibition in January, they said not enough notice had been given.
“The council said this new school went through planning with just three objections – but that’s because nobody knew about it,” said Mrs Harding.
“Only a few people received letters about the exhibition, and nobody knew about the public meetings.
“It was only because I spotted men digging holes in the field that I went out to ask what was happening.”
She said some of the residents who had gone along to the exhibition had lodged objections.
And she herself had submitted two letters, but the council had denied receiving either of them.
“We’re not against this school being built – we do realise it is needed – but it is the location we object to,” she said.
Nobody would have objected if the school was going to be replaced on its current site, she said. Pupils could have been housed in Portakabins in the interim.
While she said they accepted it was too late to prevent building work going ahead, the hope was that the plans could be “tweaked”.
“This is an important piece of land in the east end of Hexham – the needs of the children who live here need to be taken into account,” she said.
“A sensory garden, a playground and a football pitch are all included in the plans – perhaps the school doesn’t have to be so spread out.
“They could leave a bit more open space for the rest of the community to enjoy.”
A spokesman for Nor-thumberland County Council said the new school would mean fewer children with severe and multiple learning difficulties would be forced to travel outside of Northumberland to be educated.
She said: “We appreciate the concerns of residents and would like to reassure them that once the old school building is demolished, the public will have access to improved green space on the site.
“Residents will also be able to use a new junior football pitch, and the school sports facilties – including the hall, changing facilities, and toilets.
“Our consultation complied fully with statutory requirements, and we have also included local residents in this consultation through adverts in the local press, posters in the area, and our website.
“Details were also available in libraries and other public places. We are satisfied that the issues raised by objectors have been listened to and addressed.”
She added that 704 consultation documents had been distributed during the consultation period, and that 39 responses had been returned.
While the council was legally required to consult with those directly affected by planning proposals, it did not usually write directly to local residents.
However, an advert had been placed in the local press, posters had been put up at local schools and on public notice boards – including the one at Hexham library – and the information was on the council’s website.
Some local community groups had also been notified by letter of the consultation.
