Broadlands Residents Association Press Release - Catchment Change

BROADLANDS RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

Press Release

31 October 2011

Bridgend County Borough Council’s education department is consulting for a third time on proposed changes to the catchment of Maes yr Haul school in Broadlands and Trelales school in Laleston.

The change has been strongly resisted by many Broadlands residents, who see the plan as unnecessary and harmful to the community.

Residents are also angered by the way in which the Council’s officers have failed to answer key questions about their plans.

Arfon Hughes, Vice-Chair of the Broadlands Residents’ Association, commented:

“Once again the Education Department has put forward proposals to change the school catchment without providing the evidence for change that the Residents’ Association, the school governors and others have asked for.

They seem dead set on altering the catchment of Maes yr Haul school, regardless of whether it is necessary or not. Why do they continue to push this wasteful and unnecessary proposal?  

It is time for the Council to stop playing games with our community and our children’s education.  It should be spending its limited budget on teachers and equipment, not buying land from farmers to build unnecessary footpaths. “

ENDS

For further information visit our website www.broadlandsresidents.org or contact Arfon Hughes on 07590 527038

Latest consultation feedback is required by 1st November 2011

The latest consultation report is still open for feedback, the local community have all received letters updating the residents on the change of catchment plans.

The council are proposing to go ahead with the catchment changes with the north west of Broadlands all being moved to Laleston / Trelales school.

The report still fails to address the purchase costs of land but  provides some benefits to parents with children already at Maes-Yr-Haul.  This isn't the best option for the community - Broadlands children should have the right to attend its local school and the council have omitted many of the facts and figures demonstrating the short term bubble considering the development is approaching an end.

We'll post up some more of those facts in case you wish to write to the council this weekend.

PLEASE respond to the consultation.

The consultation page is here: DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE


Please mark for the attention of Ellen Franks, or e-mail Ellen.Franks@bridgend.gov.uk
If you require the consultation document in a different format, please contact Ellen Franks on 01656 642617, email: Ellen.Franks@bridgend.gov.uk

New Catchment change proposal - Option D

The school catchment changes at Broadlands Bridgend are still in a period of revision.   The options are revised once more and an Option D is being considered based on feedback from the original consultation which brings another set of streets into the discussion.

The demographics, the bubble effect of recent years and the fact that the development is at an end are still outstanding issues to be considered or addressed. 

The purchase of land around the new footpath from Broadlands to Laleston is a mute point,  although Laleston Community council has pledged £30k towards its construction, and an estimated £60k to construct it, the cost  of purchasing of land seems to be omitted from the calculations on all counts.