NEW schools in Rokeby came closer to reality after plans were approved by Warwickshire County Council’s (WCC) Cabinet – despite growing opposition from neighbours.
The cabinet agreed to proceed with proposals to create two new schools – Rugby Free Secondary School and a new premises for Rokeby Primary School – on Rokeby Sports Ground, between Fawsley Leys and Long Furlong, and to expand on the existing site of Rokeby Primary.
A petition has been launched after residents raised concerns over the loss of the public fields, limited road access, and a more urgent shortage of school places in the north of Rugby.
Abbie Robson, who launched the petition, said the proposals were poorly thought out and unsustainable, and should not go ahead.
She said: “Issues with traffic flow both around the schools, and on and off the estate, have been ignored.
“Rokeby Primary School is being forced to move to a smaller site, so the children will lose the play area, farm animals, sensory garden and forest school that they have raised funds for and cared for.
“The Free Secondary School is proposed to go on a field with no access and little space, on a narrow residential street.
“The old infant school is being demolished, to be replaced by temporary accommodation in only eight months. There is local concern about the safe removal of a significant amount of asbestos on site, which is on a residential street next to an active primary school.
“We are also concerned about the families on the other side of Rugby who have no options for secondary school places for their children.”
But WCC schools spokesman Coun Colin Hayfield said it was good news for all concerned.
He said: “The growing demand for school places in and around the area has to be addressed and the potential expansion of Rokeby Primary School allows us to do this without any additional cost to the county council.
“We will now put plans out to consultation and get the views of local families.”
Tom Legge, from The Knowledge School Trust – the body proposing the Free School – said: “We are committed to meeting the shortfall of places in Rugby from September 2016 and we are delighted the announcement of the location of our temporary and permanent home will give parents one of the major pieces of information required to choose our school.”
If the plan is approved, Rokeby Primary will move to the new site to make way for two new schools.
A Special Free School will move in to the current Rokeby site in Anderson Avenue, while the former site next door – currently home to 12 live-in property guardians – will be renovated to temporarily house Rugby Free Secondary School (RFSS).
The first RFSS students will move to the former infant school site in September 2016. The current primary school will be adapted to create the new Special Free School which has been approved to open in 2017.
Rokeby Primary School will relocate to new buildings on the council-owned fields where it can be expanded to two classes per year. The permanent new site for the sixth-form entry, 1,260-place RFSS will then be developed alongside the primary school.
A WCC spokesman added: “The close proximity of the schools will allow the sharing of facilities and to provide a comprehensive scheme to deal with the movement of pupils and traffic.”
A forum on the proposals takes place at the Rugby Town West Community Forum on Wednesday (March 16) from 6.30pm at Rokeby Primary in Anderson Avenue. Tom Legge (Rugby Free School), Brenda Mullen (MacIntyre Academies) and Nigel Minns (WCC) will answer questions from residents.
Click here to sign the petition opposing the plans.
