Secondary school move 'cruel' and 'unnecessary'

A councillor has branded the decision to relocate a secondary school as "cruel" and "unnecessary".

Hampshire County Council agreed to move Henry Cort College in Fareham to a new site about five miles (8km) away in north Whiteley at a meeting on Tuesday.

A consultation found residents overwhelmingly opposed the plans, with more than 70% of responses in opposition.

But the council said any alternative proposals would negatively impact education and the provision's finances.

Fareham Lib Dem leader David Hamilton said the "cruel" and "unnecessary" move had "chosen to ignore both logic and compassion".

He said "forcing" children on to buses, "increasing family costs" and "pulling a vital school out of one of the most deprived parts of our borough" was "indefensible".

"This is about more than buildings; it's about the lifeblood of a community," he said.

Development in Whiteley has seen 2,000 homes already built, with a further 3,500 planned in the north of the area.

The council said the relocation allowed for an estimated 900 to 1,200 secondary school places needed for the future.

Councillor Steve Forster, the authority's education chief, said: "The school, the governors and the teachers want this to occur.

"A new school is going to be really desirable.

"Many of the issues raised through the initial and second consultations have been addressed."

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