Meeting documents

Statement by Richard Cross, Chair of Governors, St Martin's Garden Primary School, to Council Executive 11-Oct-06.

Following the call in on recommendation R4.2 in the inspectors report on the BANES local plan, the governing body of St Martin's Garden Primary School wish to strongly object to this recommendation.

1) Despite the recent call in on the decision there has still not been an adequate period for the School and local community to properly consult and discuss this decision which was only placed into the public domain on 21^st July 2006.

2) In a recent straw poll taken by the Governors, 94% of the parents at St Martin's Garden Primary School do not want the current school site to be redeveloped for retail use. The views of these parents must be taken into account.

3) The School has received promises that it will be rebuilt on a smaller site yet to be identified and there are no formal plans available detailing what the School will look like and what facilities will be in the school.

4) A decision to redevelop this site will mean a large area of green space is lost to the School and the community. BANES does not have a green space strategy to refer to in making this decision.

5) Nearly two million pounds of local and national taxpayers' money has been spent over the last few years in upgrading the school. This includes large sums spent on the Margaret Coates Centre for Autistic Children and the brand new Children's Centre to serve east Bath. These are leading facilities in their fields within the authority and the region.

6) Any new retail development will inevitably mean increased traffic and pollution. No information is available on the effect this will have on the School and its children.

We ask that the Executive Committee take these points into consideration and either reject or remove the St. Martin's Garden site from recommendation R4.2.