Hurt and angry Yarmouth residents have said they feel utterly let down over the loss of the town’s school building.
Children and staff at Yarmouth CE Primary School are expected to move out this month and head to their new Government-funded school in Freshwater.
That will leave the existing building on Mill Road empty, with rumours have been circulating the site is to be developed.
The Isle of Wight Council said the site will be marketed in the New Year but it did not have any plans for it. If it were to be sold, the Isle of Wight Council said, it would only be after discussions with town councillors and representatives.
At a public meeting on Tuesday, Yarmouth residents expressed frustration about being continually left in the dark over the site’s future.
Steve Cowley, former mayor of Yarmouth, said residents were angry with the way they have been treated. He asked Island councillors Peter Spink and Chris Jarman, who were at the meeting, to work with the community to save the site, so it could be used for educational purposes.
A member of the public said the Isle of Wight Council had refused to say anything about the future of the site but he felt utterly let down and to sell for the biggest profit was disgusting. He said:
“I hope we can produce something good out of what is already a sad loss and a sad day when the school closes.
Article continues below this advertisement “We need this facility, Yarmouth has very little and yet it is a centre of extraordinary history and community.”
A list of questions was taken away from the meeting which will now be put to the Isle of Wight Council and an invitation was extended to Wendy Perera, Isle of Wight Council chief executive, to come to the next meeting.
Councillor Spink said council officers were supposed to attend the meeting but were told not to come and he would be seeking a written answer, for the people of Yarmouth, as to why.
The town council agreed to set up a working party to monitor the situation and collate ways the site could be used. The town council has already submitted an application to the County Council to make it an asset of community value.
It was requested the decision on whether to make the site a community asset be held independently, as the Isle of Wight Council had a conflict of interest.
Build social housing there!
Oh yeah .. the yachties won’t like that snobby lot !
Don’t they realize, the Tories need the money for their rich mates. How dare we expect some of our tax to be spent on us.
The decision is by the Alliance party of secrets. Not the clueless, Tories.
They’re not left in the dark really. The council has a black hole in its finances so any opportunity to make some money they are going to take it. Pretty transparent to me.
Problem is you can only sell off the family silver once.
But if , as a council you get your 30 pieces, what do you care?
I am alone in questioning the legitimacy of local education policy and those councillors involved in closing Yarmouth school but still attempting to maintain Chillerton and Rookley school with just ten pupils and no teacher?
As always in life a case of who you know, not what you know imo.
But I guess we are all guilty of that, just we expect Councils and Governments to be more professional but money talks and the more of it, the louder it becomes.
It won’t be social housing, more Yachtsman’s cottages I expect.
Yarmouth Parish Council : too little .. too late Sorry residents of Yarmouth Your local council are giving you false hope .. the IWC leadership have wanted this site for years .. and now have it …prime real estate for 2nd home developers watch this space ..
Yarmouth town RIP
If the former Mayor says local residents were angry, then presumably, one of the main reasons is because the Council (having not established a need for an empty school) might be attempting to sell a previously developed site for profit.
So fear not people of Yarmouth, you need look no further than this former custodian of high office to give good counsel and guidance through the machinations of trying to prevent profiteering from previously developed land.
They won’t let it stay in the community too many brown envelopes to be passed around for that to happen.
It won’t even be social housing it will go to highest paying developer.
The councillors will get their little pay off and another load of unaffordable houses will go up in its place so some rich git and get off his yacht and walk right into his front door.
Yarmouth is full of second home owners more will now be turning up very soon.
No doubt one of councillor jarmens dormant development companies will spring into life!!!
Have a look on companies house!!!
These anti development councillors who own development companies are not to be trusted.
Snakes in the grass !!!!!
The school building was left to the town on the condition that it was to be always used for education. If not it returns to the family that bequethed it. No profit here for the Town or council unless they ignore agreements.
Everyone knows exactly who will buy it- the same person who’s been buying up all the other businesses in Yarmouth.
This will be happening all over the island, kids dumped in together, ‘and another CoE school gone,as for Yarmouth not having much!! Take a trip to Chale, the council couldn’t even hold on to the one and only shop. I don’t know why people vote anymore? The toothless and gormless local council, or even worse the sham and pointless island MP. My advise keep your faith, enjoy each new day, and extricate from your mind all propaganda and lies that we are all fed daily, via news, and public entaties.
My late fathers rule of thumb was: believe half of what you see, and less than a quarter of what you hear.
How true.
public entities
I can remember a certain yarmouth ‘pillar’ as far back as 2008 trying on many a devious trick to get the school closed and turned into an ‘arts centre’ yes that was ‘Preposterous ‘ idea wasnt it.
I wonder if Vix loathsome will be the preferred developer given her stance against yarmouth school?
No matter, the vultures are circling in hope of their payday, at yours and mine expense and cultural loss.