7:41am Saturday 5th January 2008
By Jon Austin
A COUNTY council plan to merge two schools and sell off land for development have been dropped following objections from governors.
Education bosses had suggested merging Wick-ford Infant School with Wickford Junior School to free up the infant school grounds and playing fields for development.
The school, currently based at Irvon Hill Road, would have relocated alongside the junior school site in Market Road, Wickford.
The plan was to reinvest land sale cash in other schools across Wickford.
However, county council bosses have now dropped the idea following objections.
Alan Ball, chairman of Wickford Action Group, which is fighting to limit the amount of development in the town, said: "To move on to the same ground would have meant the combined schools would lose a significant area of playing fields.
"This at a time when the population of the town is being increased by more than 700 flats under the Wickford masterplan.
"Wickford has precious few old buildings.
"This would have further destroyed the character of the town, while filling the pockets of developers and estate agents."
Basildon Council leader Malcolm Buckley said he had been told by the governing bodies of the schools they did not support the idea.
He said: "I have been written to by the governors who say they do not think it is in the interests of the schools to merge.
"I have no objection to schools merging if they bring benefits, but it should not be done for the sake of it. I think the best people to judge this are the governors."
Councillor Tracey Chapman, cabinet member for schools, children and families, said: "The council had discussions with the governing bodies of Wickford Infant School and Wickford Junior School to see if they wanted to explore the possibility of relocating the infant school to a new state-of-the-art building on the junior school site as part of the proposed town centre regeneration.
"Unfortunately, the governing bodies have decided they do not want to pursue this course of action and the council will not be taking it further."
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