£25m school's out

SHORTAGE OF PLACES NOT BAD ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY NEW SECONDARY, SAY COUNCIL BOSSES

- By NICK JACKSON Locasl Democracy Reporting Service

A SHORTAGE of pupil places is not bad enough to justify the building of a new £25m school, say town hall bosses.

Officials in Trafford are planning the expansion of the former Loreto Preparatory School to create extra capacity.

The executive has the alternative proposal which would create a total of 380 extra places at Sale High School and North Cestrian School, which is to be expanded onto land formerly occupied by Loreto Prep.

Members were discussing the failed attempt to extend the secondary school, Altrincham College, to accommodate an extra 300 places.

Coun Karina Carter told the council's executive meeting: "We've tried for years lobbying for a new school. We really do need to put this to bed. It's not going to happen."

Coun Carter said that this year, 93 per cent of secondary school applicants got one of their top three preferences, rising to 98pc who got one of their top five or an allocation of a place in their local area.

The expansion of Altrincham College was first proposed three years ago at a projected cost of £7.2m, but the scheme was delayed when Sport England objected to the building planned for the school playing field.