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U-turn into a controversy?

Exclusive by Kathryn Ryan
14/ 2/2008

ST GEORGE'S RC High School could now be merged with St Ambrose Barlow after the council performed a major U-turn - but walked headlong into another potential controversy.

After a year of campaigning by pupils, parents and teachers, and just over a week before a planned protest march against the school’s closure, the council have bowed to public pressure and revised their plans.

However, the proposed site for the new amalgamated school was rejected by the council last year as a location for the proposed rebuild of Walkden High School.

A planning document from February 2007, referring to the site, which formerly housed Wardley Grammar School, in Manchester Road, states: "The provision of a large new school would undoubtedly be considered ‘inappropriate development’ and could only be approved if ‘very special circumstances’ can be shown to exist."

And a 2006 council document states that the location is a Green Belt site and should only be used for agriculture, forestry, cemeteries, outdoor sport or other uses of land which preserve the openness.

Campaigners against Walkden High being built close to their homes in Mereclough Avenue have reacted angrily to the new plans.

Rob Rigby said: "When this came up as a place for the rebuild of Walkden High they wouldn’t entertain the idea.

"It’s just bare-faced - they think they can do whatever they want.

"We want the school to be built entirely in the school grounds as they are now."

A council spokesperson said: "Judgements made on how suitable sites are for development are always specific to the individual proposal put forward.

"The feasibility study into the Wardley site as a potential location for a school, which brings together St Ambrose Barlow RC and St George’s, will take into consideration any potential restrictions on land use.

"There have never been any formal proposals for a new build Walkden High School in Wardley.

"It was just one of the options brought to the table in early discussions about how we could transform Salford schools under the Government’s Building Schools for the Future programme and one we will not be pursuing."

The new school would open in 2012 and have space for more than 1,000 pupils and could also include a sixth form.

Headteacher of St George’s Philip Harte said: "I don’t think the council have had any other option than to listen to us because we’ve been shouting so long and hard that even if you had your fingers in your ears you’re bound to have heard our discontent.

"It’s not our preferred option but we’re willing to look at every other possibility and we need to look at the details of this plan.

"What I think this does is demonstrate the flaws in the council’s original plan so they’ve gone back to rethink it."

Proposals for the other Catholic high schools have also been radically overhauled.

St Patrick’s in Winton could now be rebuilt on their current site, instead of refurbished and All Hallows could be rebuilt on the site of Hope High School instead of in Langworthy.

The proposals are part of the £150m Building Schools For the Future programme which will see schools across the city transformed.

The council will now carry out a feasibilty study into the new plans and a formal report will go to the cabinet at the end of March. A public consultation will then be held in April.

Education boss Councillor John Warmisham said the new proposals came from the public consultation and were supported by the diocese.

Martin Lochery, director of education for the Salford Roman Catholic Diocese, added: "I’m keen to continue the dialogue with the local authority to secure the best possible outcome for the pupils of Salford."

The headteacher of St Ambrose Barlow was unavailable for comment.

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