Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

I have received a reply from Cllr. Bryant at WCC.
From: Ernie Clark Sent: 07 March 2006 10:35 To: Bryant, Nancy Subject: New Secondary School

Dear Cllr. Bryant,

I understand that you are shortly to make a decision regarding a £20m grant for a new secondary school in Wiltshire.

In your deliberations, may I ask whether you have considered the needs of the many children that now live to the east of Trowbridge?

Paxcroft Mead continues to grow, with continuing pressure on The Mead primary school as you are no doubt aware, whilst the recent decision by GOSW to allow another 600 houses at the East of Trowbridge development will only make matters worse.

Currently all the children from this side of Trowbridge have to journey through the town to access secondary education - hardly what one would term 'sustainable' from a transport/pollution point of view.

I realise that you have many criteria to weigh up, but I would be grateful for your thoughts on this matter.



Reply received 090306.

Thank you for your e-mail.

We explored many sites on the east of Trowbridge. None of them could be purchased within the time limit for the bid without being held to ransom. We also looked at four configurations for the school on the site of John O Gaunt. None of the permutations stacked up money wise. Also the draw-back in building the school on the site would have put the new school on the wrong side of town.

The recommendation that I will probably be making on March 10th at the panel meeting: "To work with West Wiltshire District Council to identify an alternative site East of Trowbridge for a secondary school to serve Trowbridge area, that future funds can be directed to this end. A further report to come back to panel December 2006".

As you can see we are not walking away from Trowbridge and with the help of all interested parties hope to resolve a site for a new school for Trowbridge.