7:30pm Friday 6th November 2009
By Max Orbach
THE county’s education chief today promised Canvey will get a new college.
Stephen Castle, the county councillor in charge of Essex schools, said he was willing to put his reputation on the line and confirm the £7.5million college will go ahead.
Just a fortnight ago the Echo reported plans for the college were in jeopardy because the Learning and Skills Council did not have the funding.
The college will be built on the grounds of Castle View School when the secondary school moves to a new building in Furtherwick Road.
Mr Castle said the county council will pay for the college using money from its existing funds and by selling off land to accommodate 100 homes at the Castle View School site, in Meppell Avenue.
He expects planning permission to go into Castle Point Council within the next 12 weeks.
He said: “I will personally guarantee the county council will provide a vocational college on Canvey.
“We have made a commitment to the people of Canvey and we intend to stick to it.”
The Government’s Learning and Skills Council was due to fund two-thirds of the college, but ruled this out due to the recession.
Mr Castle said: “The frustration with the project is we knew the skills council was in problems, but they kept assuring us the project would go ahead. It’s left us having to reorganise our plans, but we are certain it will go ahead.”
However, Castle Point MP Bob Spink criticised the plans because he fears the houses will be built on Castle View School’s playing fields. He said: “How can they build 100 new homes without building on the playing fields?
“Canvey cannot afford to lose more green space and the county council should not have to sell off the family silver to fund this project.”
However, Mr Castle claims the new homes will be built next to the new college on the site of the existing school, not the playing fields.
The vocational college, which will teach Btec and NVQ courses, is part of a massive reorganisation of education on Canvey.
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