Proposals for the new Yarmouth Primary School — in Freshwater — have moved closer as council officers give the site the go-ahead.
Plans were submitted by the Isle of Wight Council to demolish the former All Saints’ Primary School, on School Green Road.
After a year-long dispute, the Freshwater school would close to tackle the surplus school places in existing primary schools in the West Wight.
Following the closure, a new purpose-built development would go ahead and Yarmouth Primary would move into the new facilities built on the site of the old Freshwater school.
There was opposition from those in Yarmouth who did not want the town to lose its school.
The Isle of Wight Council has been awarded funding from central government, of £4.5 million, to cover the costs of the new build.
Now, Isle of Wight Council planning officers have put the application for the new school buildings forward for conditional approval. The application will go before the council’s planning committee next Tuesday 3rd November, where councillors will decide the fate of the building.
According to planning documents, the current school is poorly arranged with areas suffering from subsidence, structural cracking, dry rot and water ingress. The applicants say the buildings are not suitable for modern-day primary education. The existing nursery on the site, however, would be retained as it is.
2 objections to the application were made by the public, none from public bodies. One said despite the incorporation of reclaimed ragstone from the current school in the new build, some more should be added to acknowledge local history of the school which has played ‘a vital part’ in all aspects of West Wight life for 170 years and survived two world wars — instead of the new building looking like ‘a factory’.
2 letters of support were also submitted, one saying it is ‘really great’ to have a modern, purpose built school proposed in the most suitable area while also leaving the green space and woodland areas. The other came from the council’s cabinet member for education, Cllr Paul Brading, who said the previous building needs urgent repairs and the commitment was given to provide the West Wight with a new well-equipped one form entry school fit for pupils now but also the long-term sustainable future.
He said:
“The plans submitted deliver on all the requirements for educational achievements and environmental requirements, and will give the long term sustainability promised. I fully support these plans being approved.”
In the planning officers’ report, they said the application represents an opportunity to significantly improve the educational facilities on the site.
Officers ask for 15 conditions, including more planning documents (an arboreal method statement and highway construction management plan) and materials submitted to and approved by the council before any development starts as well as the building cannot be occupied until parking/storage facilities are provided for a minimum of 50 scooters and 16 bikes.
No doubt the council have all ready sold Yarmouth sch old site be interesting to know how much they got for that more second home houses to be built
You sound jealous that people work hard and can own a holiday home? And you have no idea who would buy them.
You are obviously one of those selfish people that buy second home so young islanders have no chance of getting on property ladder sad
Let us hope the corrupt council have put aside enough cash to provide a decent CCTV system in place with the child perverts in Freshwater attracted to such places.
How many hours of your life do you spend trawling this site? You comment on everything from traffic lights to pirates and everything in between. Your negativity is absolutely astounding, you must be mentally drained by the end of the day. There are people out there they can help you Stephen, don’t be afraid to ask for help, you are afraid aren’t you? Afraid of the 21st century, you want to go back to the comfort of your childhood, the Victorian era. Have a day off, go for a walk, give everybody a break from your incessant negativity and inane ramblings. There is more to life than Island Echo Stephen, you just have to go out and find it. I hope you find some peace, I really do.
The council don’t own Yarmouth school site, the Church do. I will also be interested in what it is going to be used for. The main site was given to the church, to be used for educational purposes in perpetuity, by a wealthy private citizen in 1854.
As far I understand it Yarmouth primary is currently using two school sites – one at Shalfleet and one at Yarmouth Primary. So presumably primary school children from Shalfleet and surrounding areas will have to use the new school at Freshwater?
As a former School Governor of Yarmouth & Shalfleet, I am at a loss as to why the school needs to be destroyed.
I ask, would it not be more efficient to retain the school and repair and refurbish it with a small portion of the £4,5 million grant. Methinks there is something awry here?