Publication of Legal Statutory Notices for School reorganisation proposals for Whitchurch
Following a public consultation with the Whitchurch community, two statutory notices were published on 25th May 2010 for the following proposals:
- Reduce the capacity of Whitchurch High School from 12 forms of entry (FE) to 10 FE from September 2015 with a first phase of implementation to 11 FE from September 2012.
- Close Eglwys Wen and Eglwys Newydd Primary Schools and replace these schools with a new 2.5FE English-medium primary school with nursery by investment in the premises currently shared between Eglwys Wen and Ysgol Melin Gruffydd, from September 2012
- Transfer Ysgol Melin Gruffydd Primary School into the premises currently occupied by Eglwys Newydd Primary School with investment as a 2 forms of entry (FE) Welsh-medium school with nursery, from September 2012
i fail to see what these alterations will achieve. when the english medium spaces are taken away from the people of whitchurch they will never be given back. once a school is closed it will never be replaced. if there is a need for these welsh places why has nobody taken a look at the tennis courts and land adjacent to glan-taf. after all this is the high school that is taking these welsh speaking children at year 7. surely having both schools near to each other would be of grate benefit allowing them to share facilities and making good use of a wasted space in llandaff north. i have only ever seen the tennis courts used during the 2 weeks of wimbledon each year, after that they just seem to be left empty allowing cars to park near and let their dogs foul the land. when will this council leave alone what is not broken. with the birth rate rising in cardiff and reports of maternity units at bursting point in the media, surely taking away school spaces and reducing the intake of the high school would be madness. whitchurch has been for many years changing as the elder generation are passing on they are being replaced by a younger one with familys and these spaces will be needed. as a business within the village i can vouch that more and more familys are moving into the area. proof of these changes are evident in places such as warren evans court which in the 1980′s was used solely for pensioners with a warden living on site. when visiting my grandmother you were not even aloud to play ball games outside and i can clearly remember shopping as a youngster in the village which was bustling with pensioners. now if you visit these “retirement” flats which my nan was forced to move to they are now all privately owned or occupied by familys through the housing department. as for not playing ball games on the grass this is no longer possible as it is always dominated by park cars, trucks and vans belonging to the residents. a definate sign of change to the village where no parking was provided for this developement. lets hope this council take note of the public from the north and see sense. LEAVE ALONE WHAT IS WORKING FINE.
We as a community must not see this as a Welsh vs English medium education issue. This is about taking valuable open land, a rare commodity in Whitchurch, and building houses on it. Enough open land has been sold off and built on already. I believe we, as a community, need to reject all of these options and force the council to think again. Once land has been taken from the community and built on we don’t get it back. My children are now grown but they both enjoyed the playing fields and I’d like to think that future generations can enjoy the same benefits.
In response to Anthony,
If you are referring to the tennis courts in Hailey park as ‘wasted space’, as Chair of Friends of Hailey Park (friendsofhaileypark.org.uk), I can confirm that the whole of Hailey park is well used, inculding the tennis courts (used throughout the year including Christmas day!) whether in their existing capacity or possible alternative (there is a consultation out with local residents re turning 2 of the 6 courts into a mini football pitch- requested by local children.)
Hailey park was donated in 1926 by Claude Hailey ‘for the use by children of Llandaff North’. Any encroachment into Hailey Park will not be tolerated.