Shevington Primary Schools Consultation

So Wigan Council are now carrying out a consultation to reduce the number of primary schools in Shevington. Here is the link to that document.

Many believe it is obvious that the school that the Council will close is Shevington Community School on Miles Lane, Shevington. They believe this because the Council has put out a press release and just talking down their numbers.

At a recent meeting for parents and their Cllrs, all 3 District Cllrs, said that they were fighting to save ALL 3 primary schools (Shevington Vale, Shevington Community and Millbrook. Great news! However since that meeting Cllr Paul Collins has emailed the Parish Council and says that the Councillors are now not looking to save all schools. This is shocking! If they tell parents they are then they should do what they say and if they have changed their minds they should tell parents.

In the email Cllr Collins says, and I quote, "

As a governor on the federation I was in a position of possible conflict of interest and legal issues so made an appropriate response when called by reporters at the time.  However since the article was written I have stepped aside from the governing body in order to maintain impartiality and remove any possible conflicts of interest.
My colleagues and I have held several meetings, with parents and residents from all of the affected schools and will be meeting with officers amongst other activities and methods of raising awareness and encouraging anyone with an interest to participate in the consultation. We will be taking the position not to protect all of our schools and can report back to the community once we have more information from our enquiries"

Interesting last line. I now believe the 3 District should tell all 3 schools parents what their position is and not to string them along.

I have also heard that the school to close could well be Shevington Vale. The doctors at Shevington are buying the clinic next door and knocking that down for extra car parking places and then they will move the clinic into the Shevington Community School. The Council could move the children from Vale to Community - after building 2 new classrooms, then sell then the land at Shevington Vale for houses as it is in the middle of a housing estate and probably meet less resistance for development.

The uncertain the council is now allowing to happen is worrying for these parents and children of Shevington Vale and Community and therefore it should be the case that the council now comes clean with their intention.