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£2m for temporary classrooms at Philip Morant

7:00am Wednesday 10th February 2010 in


TEMPORARY classrooms costing £2million will be built at a Colchester secondary school, just years before it gets a £27million upgrade.

Essex County Council is set to pay £1.94million on a temporary expansion of Philip Morant School over the next two years.

Then in 2013, work is expected to begin on a £27million expansion as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Similarly, next year will see £266,000 spent on demountable classrooms at St Helena School, ahead of a £17.1million rebuilding project.

An Essex County Council spokesman confirmed the expenditure was necessary, because the £130million schools programme had been delayed after funding was initially confirmed last year.

The last intake of Year 7 pupils at Alderman Blaxill and Thomas Lord Audley schools is due to take place in September 2011 – one year later than originally planned – before the schools close for good five years later.

Essex County Council budget figures reveal nearly £18million has been set aside for Sir Charles Lucas Arts College, which is set to become an academy this September.

Philip Morant is expected to take on an extra 300 pupils, while staff at St Helena will teach another 150 youngsters.

Gilberd School in High Woods is set for a £21.5million upgrade, Stanway is to get a £22.1million boost and Thurstable School, in Tiptree, is to benefit by £19.6million.

Comments(7)

Goonerboy says...
12:47pm Wed 10 Feb 10

I hope that these facilities have a 20 year life span because that is what they will need when the funding does not arrive. The 2 existing shcools should be kept open until the new facilities are ready, If £2m was invested in the 2 existing schools how many fantastic teachers would that pay for ? the pupils would get a far better chance of improving their results than being swallowed up in a super sized school and housed in portakabins. What about the sports facilities , refectory and other facilities , can they cope with an extra 250 pupils??? Lets hope the new ECC leader calls in these plans , although I am not holding my breath

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Shrub Ender says...
2:30pm Wed 10 Feb 10

I agree with Goonerboy, if the money that is set aside for this stupid project was plowed into the schools that they want to close the whole charade would be over. Also the children thaat will be holed up in these portacabins will suffer, whos right was it to decide that these children would have to bite the bullet while all of the reshuffle takes place. Its supposedly for the future of Colchesters education but there will be a whole generation of kids affected by the re-shuffle.Wheres thier rights in this?? It will never be finished on schedule as we know. Build it then move people if you have to!!!!!!

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crosby says...
3:17pm Wed 10 Feb 10

Agree with all the above. I've now read that the £130m for schools is a myth anyway as some of it scheduled to be spent in other areas of Essex! A Con trick all round.

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Voter99 says...
4:45pm Wed 10 Feb 10

I agree with the above and even with Crosby. But I always said the £130 million didn't exist. So what are the lard ars*s of Colchester going to do about it? Nothing but they will still vote Labour and Tory at the General Election

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COLIN MUDIE says...
6:49pm Wed 10 Feb 10

In total, Essex County Council have announced that they are proposing to spend somewhere in the region of £109.5 million to improve Colchester Schools. Included in this expenditure is funding for temporary and demountable classrooms amounting to around £2.2 million.
One assumes that the Essex County Council is pledging to spend £109.5 million on the vague hope that the Government delayed £130 million will eventually become a reality. What if this promised money turns out to be just a promise and the delay will last until after the general election, what then???
Should this school restructuring plan fail before it gets started, will the person who spearheaded it through relinquish his position as head of ECC? Wow! that was quick.
What is required is a substantial injection of cash towards improving and not destroying Alderman Blaxill and Thomas Lord Audley Schools and the fight for this cause must continue.
The UFO story follows:

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COLIN MUDIE says...
7:07pm Wed 10 Feb 10

For those who believe in UFO's maybe the £130 million for Colchester School restructuring will seem plausible. UFO's have been spotted in skies above Colchester.
Maybe it's the promised £130 million Schools Regeneration money that hasn't quite reached earth yet! Oh! sorry I forgot, that was always going to be PIE IN THE SKY.
Should we take another look? I see it's orange coloured, maybe it's just that £130 million huge dangling carrot. Never mind it will soon decompose and become what I have suspected all along------ MANURE

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Boris says...
2:41am Thu 11 Feb 10

I agree with everyone who has written so far. I pity the families whose children must attend the mediocre establishment that is Philip Morant. We must keep on campaigning to keep Alderman Blaxill and TLA open, in the hope that the promised money for ECC's ruinous plan will evaporate.

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