As the Isle of Wight Council Cabinet considers a second consultation on the future of Chillerton and Rookley Primary School, campaigners have discovered that the school is protected by a legal covenant.
An excerpt from the Land Registry entry reads:
“Successors will at all times hold the premises for the purposes of a public elementary school and for no other purpose whatsoever”
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The campaigners believe that this throws into doubt the Council’s ability to legally close the 170 year-old rural school, which was the subject of an abandoned closure attempt in June
Save our School spokesperson Keith Herbert said:
“We have engaged with three independent property law experts who are all in agreement that the land can only be used as a primary school by current and future owners. When the land was entrusted to the Council, they entered into a legally binding agreement to only use the land for teaching children, which stands today.”
On 14th October 2021 Cabinet members will consider a report suggesting a variety of options for the future of Chillerton and Rookley including the closure of federated school Godshill Primary School which, according to Ofsted, requires improvement.
Save our School Chairman Nigel Phillips added:
“The draft ‘Island Planning Strategy’ has allocated 121 housing units for Godshill and Rookley. Many of these will house young families with children who will need a school and nursery. The report that the council is considering does not take this into account.”
Excellent news a great school to which we should all be proud of.
Let me guess, the council wants to close it and build houses there?