Two years since school shut and still no news about site
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More than two years after a popular school closed there is
still no firm news about what is happening with the site.
Danley Middle School in Halfway shut in August 2009 when
Sheppey’s education system changed from three-tier to two-tier.
The plan is for Halfway Houses Primary School pupils to move
into the site in Danley Road once it has been refurbished.
The issue was discussed at a Sheppey Local Engagement Forum
meeting at St George’s Primary School in Minster last Tuesday where
residents had hoped to get an update on the move.
But they were told there are still delays due to funding
issues.
A playing field at the Danley site is not needed and Kent County
Council (KCC) has applied to Education Secretary Michael Gove to
lift a Section 77 order which protects it from being used for
anything other than a school playing field.
There were fears from residents it would be sold off for
housing, but Cllr Ken Pugh has been assured it will only be used
for the community. It is now hoped it could be taken over by the
Sheppey Sunday League for a peppercorn rent, but the Section 77
order still needs to be lifted so its use can be changed.
Cllr Pugh said he will chase for an outcome on this.
The estimated cost of refurbishing the Danley site is £2.2m but
KCC only expects to make between £1.2m and £1.4m from the sale of
Halfway – leaving a £1m shortfall.
To make up this money, KCC has applied to the Priority Schools
Building Programme and a decision is expected by the end of this
month.
If they don’t get the grant, Cllr Pugh said they would have to
find the money from elsewhere, but that the Halfway pupils moving
is a “top priority”. He said: “We are fighting for the Island and
over my dead body will that land be used for anything other than
the community.”
KCC’s community engagement manager Bill Ronan said he had noted
all the concerns raised at the meeting and will take them back to
the council.
He said: “The intention remains to relocate and the money has
been set aside to achieve this but there is a financial gap.
“In terms of a consultation I can invite somebody from the
education directorate to come and stand where I am and feel the
heat and try and answer some of those questions.
“I think it’s important, as somebody born and bred here, that we
get that land used correctly.”
At the meeting, former Danley governor Mike Brown raised the
issue that the longer the school buildings are left, the more work
will need doing.
He said: “I was chair of governors and the year before it
closed, negotiations were going on about Halfway moving to the
Danley site.
“People were coming and taking measurements and we were led to
believe that after a year of Danley closing Halfway would be in
there.
“But nothing is happening and we are coming up to three years
since Danley closed.
“There is state of the art science equipment and labs in there
and two IT suites and all of that has just stood empty for
years.
“Any building standing empty deteriorates and there has been
water coming through ceilings.
“It will cost twice as much to convert it as it would have done
three years ago.
“It was a tremendous building – it did need work outside but the
facilities are there.”
Tuesday, February 07 2012
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