Calls for a 'robust' walking route if plans to move Chichester school go ahead

The group was protesting proposals to move Jessie Younghusband School from Woodlands Lane, Chichester, to the Minerva Heights development being built west of the city.

Should the move go ahead, it would allow St Anthony’s Special School, which shares the site, to take over the vacated buildings and enrol 50+ more children.

One of the major concerns raised by parents was the safety of their children as they crossed St Paul’s Road to get to the new school.

Jeremy Hunt (Con, Chichester North) said claims that the traffic along the road moved slowly enough for people to cross were ‘absolute rubbish’, especially when the school day ended.

He asked: “Would you want your children or grandchildren playing Russian roulette with the traffic?”

A report to the committee said officers were in discussion with the Safer Routes to Schools team about a proposed walking/cyclingroute via Centurion Way.

Chairman Paul Linehan said: “The committee asks that it progresses as a priority to ensure that there is a sufficient and robust walking and cycling route in place should the proposals go ahead.

“We agree that upgrades to St Paul’s Road should be progressed regardless of whether these proposals should go forward.”

Centurion Way is a footpath which follows the route of the dismantled Chichester to Midhurst railway line, running from Westgate, round Bishop Luffa School and on up to Lavant.

Parents have pointed out that the route floods and described feeling ‘very unsafe’ taking their children along there.

The need for extra places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) was not questioned.

While the county council has had a bid for a new 130-place special school accepted by the Department for Education, final details about where it will be and when it will be completed are yet to be released.

As it is, more than 50 youngsters in the Chichester area have to travel to schools elsewhere in the county.

Questions were asked about whether those children would be guaranteed a place at the expanded St Anthony’s.

No such guarantees were given – the meeting was told that places were allocated based on what was best for each child – but Graham Olway, assistant director for school organisation, said he certainly hoped it would happen.

He added: “By making 50 additional places available for the Chichester area, that would give the opportunity for more local provision.”

Mr Hunt said: “I fully understand the urgent need to provide additional places for children with special educational needs.

“However, in this case, I don’t believe the huge disruption to the lives of 210 children and their families [at Jessie Younghusband] in order to provide just 50 extra spaces for special educational needs can in any way be justified in this case.”

But Jacquie Russell, cabinet member for children & young people, learning and skills, said there was a ‘compelling reason for this council to increase its maintained specialist provision, to give our children with special educational needs and disabilities more choice and opportunities to attend a school in their locality that can meet their needs whilst reducing the need to travel long distances to schools in other parts of the county or even out of county’.