As reported earlier on VB residents from Cowes attended a meeting last night at Lanesend Primary School.
Around 80 people attended the informal statutory consultation on the proposals to relocate services from Clatterford Tuition Centre and Thompson House to two new sites.
Residents turned up wanting answers from the presentation, but were unfortunately left “more concerned than when they came.”
The plans
Lanesend is proposed to be the new site for alternative provision for 25 children aged 4 – 16 with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. These will include children who have been excluded from mainstream schools.
The Lanesend site has been singled out because it is in a good state of repair and is large enough to accommodate WISE workshops, behavioural and mental health support teams as well as the 25 children and staff.
Current buildings not fit for purpose
Currently both Clatterford and Thompson House are oversubscribed but in a bad state of repair.
A recent OFSTED report gave Thompson House a good rating, but poor accommodation levels. If the Council do not find a suitable site for these children, they will have to be sent to a specialist residential on the Mainland.
Concerns over safety
Residents have concerns with the safety of small children in the pre-school who will be within metres of the playground and extra congestion around the already busy road.
One resident said, “In the consultation documents it states that other sites were turned down because they were too close to residential areas, why was this site not declined for the same reason?”
Lesley Rhodes, interim commissioner for SEN and alternative provision, replied that, “other sites were around five metres from a main road.”
Cllr Mazillius urged feedback
Cllr Roger Mazillius, for South Cowes and Northwood, who arrived later having been at the Annual Council Meeting, apologised at the end of the meeting, “The community has very good reasons against the plans and we take this type of consultation very seriously.
“Clearly there are issues that we haven’t got across. A full minuted report will be delivered to the school and we will call another meeting.”
He urged residents to contact the Council with their concerns before the 11th June.
Meeting didn’t go well
If the Council decides to go ahead with the plans a statutory notice will be available between the 17th July and 14th August.
At the end of these dates all responses will be considered before a final decision is made. This is likely to be around the 11th September and the decision will be made public within four weeks.
When Mrs Rhodes was asked if she thought the meeting went well she replied “no”.
VB will keep you up-to-date on any new meetings.
