School plan is scrapped

PLANS to rebuild a primary school on a popular common have been scrapped.

The St John’s CofE Primary School building in Heaton Mersey is not fit for purpose, and is set to be rebuilt with the help of a government grant.

Stockport Council initially proposed to rebuild the Poplar Street school on nearby common Priestnall Hey, citing the unsuitability of the school’s existing plot as the reason for the move.

But the plans sparked a huge backlash from nearby residents, who campaigned for the common to be saved and only used as open public space.

Now the council has announced that it is scrapping plans to build on Priestnall Hey.

The children will still get their new school, as the authority has now decided that it can be rebuilt on its existing site instead.

The news comes after a series of ground investigations were carried out on the school site.

Last year the plans split the community, with those in favour of the build fearing the school might have to close if it could not go ahead.

Welcoming the news, Carol Pickard from the Save the People’s Heaton Mersey Common group, said: “It’s fantastic all round, they can still build the school and we’ve saved the common. We’re really, really pleased.”

In a statement the council said: “The results of this additional phase of ground investigations are being reviewed by the Education Funding Agency but the indications are that with carefully thought out design a new building could be constructed within the existing school site subject to final clarification on specific environmental issues with the authority.”

Welcoming the news, St John’s headteacher Patrick Rayner said: “We’re pleased that progress is being made on the potential rebuild of the school. Going forward we want to best meet the needs of the children and the wider community.”