Fight to keep Heathfield site as a school facility
Conservative councillors have joined forces
TWO Tory county councillors have teamed up to campaign for Earl Shilton’s Heathfield Academy to be kept as an educational centre.
The Belle Vue Road school, which has served the community since 1938, closed at the end of the summer term ahead of the merger with nearby William Bradford Academy.
The new Heath Lane Academy, on the William Bradford site, will open in the autumn providing allthrough teaching for 11 to 19-year-olds.
What will become of Heathfield’s original Art Deco hub, later schoolroom extensions, swimming pool and playing fields is not yet known.
However, Leicestershire County Council representatives Janice Richards and Ruth Camamile have issued an early call for the site and its facilities to remain as an integral part of local children’s learning.
Councillor Richards (Con, Earl Shilton) said: “Ruth and I believe the building, which is a solid building, would be ideal as a primary school. It’s an Art Deco building and to knock it down would be a crying shame.
“It is in a convenient area, it has playing fields, a swimming pool and parking facilities. With all the houses which are going to be built and the amount of people who are going to be coming to live in the area, there is going to be a real need for a new primary school.
“At the moment some people can’t get their child into the school of their choice. We are passionate about keeping Heathfield and while it might need investment, surely it would not be as much as building a new school from scratch.
We don’t want to see it lost to become develop- ment land.”
While it is most likely the school site will transfer back to its former education authority, Leicestershire County Council, this decision lies with the Department for Education.
No judgement has yet been made.
The uncertainty is concerning for both councillors who fear a worst case scenario where the land is sold off for flats or houses.
They suggest the county, if the authority is given responsibility over the site, should deal with it in the same way as the former Mount Grace High School in Leicester Road, Hinckley.
The Victorian building has been refurbished following the merger and transfer of Mount Grace to John Cleveland College and will open this autumn as Hinckley Parks Primary School, the new home for Holliers Walk pupils and teachers.
Cllr Richards added: “As there are 4,500 houses to be built in Earl Shilton and Barwell on top of the developments already under construction it is essential that issues around infrastructure and key services such as schools, doctors, dentist etc are given due consideration at this stage.”