HAVING attended the Devon County Council public consultation meeting on Wednesday evening regarding our proposed new primary school, I am left with at least two significant concerns:- 1. The land on which the school is to be built will not become available until September 2009, leaving just 12 months for its construction. There must be a real possibility that this schedule will not be met whilst the demand for primary school places rises in response to the significant new housing destined for Okehampton. The school is initially to cater for 210 pupils, rising to 420 by 2020. In the event of it not being available on time, we are told that pupils will be accommodated at our existing primary where there is currently capacity for only 60 additional children, 2. About the only area over which our community now has the ability to exert any real influence is in choosing the type of school created (ie, whether it is to be a community, foundation, trust, voluntary controlled or voluntary aided school). This aspect was barely touched upon in the meeting and, to the extent that it was, little detailed information was forthcoming. Many will still not be fully clear about what the options amount to and the pros and cons of each type of possible school. I have written to county to express these concerns. Mel Stride Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Central Devon
