IT WAS very rich of Jan Wilson to try to make political capital at the Lib Dems' expense over the issue of the closures of Myers Grove and Wisewood Schools.
The facts remain that this was a top-down New Labour plan made with no consideration of local issues and implemented by her administration.
The Government told Sheffield Council that it would have to show how it was reducing surplus places. Myers
Grove and Wisewood were chosen as sacrificial lambs in this process, not because of falling rolls in the area.
They were chosen because:
There was no plan at the time for rebuilding or refurbishing either school.
Smaller community schools do not fit current Government thinking for cheaper 1,000+ schools.
Myers Grove has been a longstanding problem for the council (of their own making) and this proposal neatly solves it - at great cost to the Hillsborough community.
The figures showing the projected falling rolls were rigged to show a large decline in numbers. As time passes, the deception is being revealed.
It is becoming increasingly clear that the proposed new school will not have sufficient capacity for the students in its catchment.
The location of the new school would be geographically isolated from Hillsborough by the Loxley Valley. All traffic to the school would have to negotiated the already congested junction at Malin Bridge causing huge problems for existing commuters in Stannington, the Loxley Valley and Hillsborough.
However, worst of all is the fact that Hillsborough would lose an irreplaceable asset forever - its local, popular and successful school at Wisewood.
We do not accept that the struggle to save the schools is over. It is vital that local people use their voice to oppose the scheme as it enters the planning application process.
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