New school will ‘rip the heart out of community’
1,200-PLACE SECONDARY SCHOOL APPROVED FOR PARK CREATED BY LOCALS
A HIGHLY-controversial new secondary school has been approved for a park in Gorton – despite warnings it will ‘rip the heart out’ of the local community.
Councillors agreed plans for the 1,200-place school on Nutsford Vale, off Matthews Lane, at the town hall’s latest planning meeting.
Approval came in spite of passionate protests by volunteers, who had spent years transforming the site from a landfill into a community orchard and wildflower meadow – as well as opposition from ward councillors.
Speaking on behalf of the Save Nutsford Vale group, Ally Fogg invoked the ‘spirit of the Manchester bee,’ arguing it was that sense of community endeavour that had seen the park created in the first place.
Adding that the space is the only place many local children would see a real Manchester bee, he said: “I do not doubt that some of you on this committee have a sticker of a Mancunian bee on the back of your car, a poster on your office wall, maybe even a little tattoo above your heart.
“We are here to plead with you today to think about what that bee represents.
“If you do agree to this application we can only ask that you have the decency and good conscience to rip that sticker off the back of your car, tear down the poster from your office wall and ink over your tattoo with as much brutality and violence as the diggers and steamrollers will inflict on Nutsford Vale.” Hundreds of members of the public had objected to the planned school, which has been proposed due to central Manchester’s scarcity of school places.
The committee heard 330 extra Year 7 places are needed for September next year, with no other suitable sites available to the council. Some councillors questioned whether that was really the case, however, while Gorton councillor Bernard Stone said there was no doubt new school places were needed – but that the park was not appropriate.
Longsight councillor Suzanne Richards added that the council’s role was to plan communities, adding: “This school won’t be the heart of our community, actually.
“It will rip the heart out of our community. It’s not the same as a park – it’s uniquely different.”
Nothing she had seen had persuaded her that there was a need for a school on that specific site, she said, adding that it had been presented ‘from the outset as a fait accompli’ despite an offer to try and find alternative sites.
Director of education Amanda Corcoran told the committee Manchester is experiencing ‘significant population growth’ that was forecast to continue.
There had already been a big increase in the need for primary places, she said, which has now feeding into the secondary sector.
“Manchester has a statutory duty to meet this need,” she said.
The committee was then told by the designated planning officer that no other suitable sites had been found in the area and that highways conditions and a travel plan would be drawn up.
Members approved the application, subject to any call-in from the government.