Hurt and angry Yarmouth residents last night (Tuesday) said they felt utterly let down over its lost school building.
Children and staff at Yarmouth CE Primary School are expected to move out this month and head to their new government-funded school in Freshwater.
Empty site
That will leave the existing building on Mill Road empty, but rumours have been circulating the site is to be developed.
The Isle of Wight council said the site will be marketed in the new year, but it did not have any plans for it.
If it were to be sold, the IW council said, it would only be after discussions with town councillors and representatives.
Residents “continually left in the dark over the site’s future”
At a public meeting yesterday, Yarmouth residents expressed frustration about being continually left in the dark over the site’s future.
Steve Cowley, former mayor of Yarmouth, said residents were angry with the way they have been treated.
He asked Island councillors Peter Spink and Chris Jarman, who were at the meeting, to work with the community to save the site, so it could be used for educational purposes.
“To sell for the biggest profit was disgusting”
A member of the public said the IW council had refused to say anything about the future of the site, but he felt utterly let down and to sell for the biggest profit was disgusting.
He said,
“I hope we can produce something good out of what is already a sad loss and a sad day when the school closes.
“We need this facility, Yarmouth has very little and yet it is a centre of extraordinary history and community.”
A list of questions was taken away from the meeting which will now be put to the Isle of Wight council and an invitation was extended to Wendy Perera, IW council chief executive, to come to the next meeting.
Council officers told not to attend the meeting
Cllr Spink said council officers were supposed to attend the meeting, but were told not to come and he would be seeking a written answer, for the people of Yarmouth, as to why.
The town council agreed to set up a working party to monitor the situation and collate ways the site could be used.
Asset of community value
The town council has already submitted an application to the IW council to make it an asset of community value.
It was requested the decision on whether to make the site a community asset be held independently, as the Isle of Wight council had a conflict of interest.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
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