Demand For New School

Out of 639 residents who returned voting slips distributed by the parish council, 591, or 92 per cent, were in favour of Bramley Green having its own school.

Just 35 villagers, or 5.5 per cent, wanted to see the extra school places provided within the existing St Margaret's CE Primary School, by building several new classrooms and other facilities.

And 13 people called both for improvements to St Margaret's, and for a new school at Bramley Green.

The voting figures, which mirror a similar poll carried out last year, were released just days before a crucial meeting which will decide whether St Margaret's is extended, or the school at Bramley Green should be built.

West Sussex County Council's schools organisation committee a group independent of the authority meets on Monday to discuss the controversy.

Committee members will hear that the parish council, Arun District Council, the Bramley Green developers and Angmering's county councillor, Oliver Wingrove, are all opposed to the enlargement of St Margaret's and want the new school to be provided, using land already earmarked and 1,000 from each new house, which the housebuilders have to contribute.

Objectors to the St Margaret's extension claim the plans put forward by the county council and St Margaret's governors are the same as those proposed last year and ultimately rejected by an independent adjudicator.

The parish council believes the county council has underestimated the number of children who will live at Bramley Green, and claims there would be no "safe route" for them to walk to St Margaret's.

The resulting extra school runs by parents would add to already heavy traffic in the village centre and along Arundel Road.

But Sarah Greenwell, county council cabinet member for education, has insisted there would be insufficient children to justify three primary schools in Angmering, and so county supported the St Margaret's governors' plans.

In a letter to the Littlehampton Gazette, Mrs Greenwell points out an agreement signed by the Bramley Green developers was to provide land for "educational use" and a financial contribution towards extra school places.

"When the land becomes available, it will be used to provide additional playing fields for the Angmering School," she adds.

Total spending on Angmering School and St Margaret's would be around 2million, for additional places and other improvements, and the availability of government grant for St Margaret's means this could be achieved at minimum cost to the council taxpayer.

"Should the demand for primary school places in the village exceed expected levels, the land would still be available to provide a third primary school if necessary at some future date."

Mrs Greenwell says school places are needed now for children already moving into Bramley Green.

Designing and building a new school would take at least two years, even if the extra money could be found.

On the traffic concerns, she adds that the new bypass, traffic-calming in the village and improvements to footpaths and road crossings between the new houses and the school should be taken into account.