‘Let’s join together in fight for school’

11:48pm Monday 19th November 2007

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A community was today urged to band together to overturn a Government decision to refuse funding for a new Bradford school.

Councillors met to express their outrage and disgust at the decision not be rebuild Wyke Manor School for health and safety reasons.

The announcement by the Department for Children, Schools and Families was based on legal advice from the Health and Safety Executive on guidelines expected to come into force next year.

The DCSF told Bradford Council that, as a result, Government funding will not be available in any form for reconstruction on the Wilson Road site. That means the school can't be included in the Council's £400 million schools programme. Ward councillor David Robinson is contacting Education Minister Ed Balls as part of the campaign to press for a new school.

He is asking for a review of the "dictatorial" decision.

Today, he urged Wyke residents to get behind the protest.

He said: "Having being a resident in Wyke for over 20 years, living within 500 yards of a hazardous chemical company', I am disgusted at the Health and Safety Executive's non democratic method of arriving at a so-called decision without any local consultation with local councillors.

"The HSE, in my opinion, is totally out of order in not only reaching the wrong decision, but a wholly misinformed decision. This is not, and never has been, a dangerous site. A H Marks has an exemplary safety record."

Coun Robinson added: "If, as reported, the current school and other schools in the vicinity are safe, why no new school?

"If the HSE has worries about future safety, then surely they must produce a plan of action to safeguard not only our children, but the whole community.

"At no time have we had any local consultation."

Ward councillors Sarah Ferriby and David Warburton are also outraged. "We feel that this decision should be reviewed urgently. If the site is safe for the current school, surely it would be safe for a new school, using new technology building methods?"

Both urge constituency MP Gerry Sutcliffe to lobby ministers and they are pressing for the HSE to be abolished in its current format.

Councillor Ian Greenwood, leader of the Council's Labour group, said: "The HSE has a lot to answer for over this and I would urge ministers to reconsider.

"It seems to me that if the plant is safe then there is no reason not to build a new school.

"And if it is not safe then the Council and the HSE should make it so, and then build a new school."