Sheffield Green Party has criticised the Council’s single preferred option for Ecclesall school places and calls for alternatives to be given proper consideration. The comments come in the Green Party response to the consultation.
The Green Party argues that the Council’s planned expansion of the Ecclesall Infant School site (which would see pupil numbers increasing 350% from 180 to 630) would lead to significant impacts for local people in terms of traffic, parking, air quality and road safety.
The Green response suggests that, instead of pursuing a large-scale expansion on the Ecclesall Infant School site, smaller-scale expansions of school places at both Clifford School and Ecclesall Infant School could achieve the same aims without the negative effects on the community.
Green Councillor Alison Teal (Nether Edge & Sharrow) said:
“Parents have told me how disappointed they are that the Council are asking for responses to just one plan.
The decision on how to provide more school places will affect traffic and air quality – not to mention education – in this part of the city for many years to come. It’s shocking that the Council has only included their preferred option in this consultation. The Council are giving local people no opportunity to have a proper say on alternative options for the future of schools in their area.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
1 Details of the Ecclesall school places consultation and the Council’s proposals can be found at: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/education/about-us/consultation/school-places.html