Pressure for more primary school places in the Heaton areas of Stockport has forced Stockport Council to consider how to meeet the increased demand.
The Council has siad it is committed to tackling the issue and, in response to pressures in the Heatons area, has been considering a range of options to meet the rising demand for places.
The Peel Moat Recreation Centre site provides an ideal location for primary school provision and this is being considered to address school place pressures. Options for the site will be subject to a full appraisal and public consultation; one of the options being considered is that Tithe Barn Primary School should be moved into new, larger buildings at Peel Moat which would allow for expansion.
Plans to provide an on-site playing pitch at Peel Moat with associated changing facilities for community use would remain part of any development on the site.
Whilst the option at Peel Moat is under exploration, work on considering Freshfield Nursery, Priestnall Secondary School and Didsbury Road Primary for additional primary places will be suspended.
Councillor Shan Alexander, Stockport Council’s Executive Member for Lifelong Learning and Achievement, said:
“The Heatons is a very popular area with outstanding school provision. Work has already been undertaken to expand some schools in the area and every Heaton parent who applied for a primary school place in their area for September 2013 has been allocated one.
“However the area is currently seeing the benefit of additional investment which will bring more housing to the area. An increase of people living in the Heatons along with rising birth rates will mean that more school places are needed in the future.”
The Council had previously agreed to release part of the Peel Moat site for residential development, but the provision of sufficient school places for children will take priority.