Campaigners vow to fight on over Telford school

Campaigners say the fight isn't over to stop a 900-pupil school in Telford being built despite the plans being given the go-ahead.

Protestors parked nearly 50 cars outside Ercall Wood Technology College recently in protest at plans to build a new school on the site plus 130 new homes. Now they say they may stage the protest again to highlight the chaos they claim the school run will cause in the area after the new school is built.

Resident Graeme Smith said the parking protest caused 'controlled chaos' with police officers going along to monitor the situation. He said the officers wouldn't be there every day.

Outline plans were approved by Telford & Wrekin's plans board to knock down Ercall Wood Technology College in Wellington and build a 900-pupil school in its place, with community sports facilities and 130 homes.

Residents from Golf Links Lane, Holyhead Lane and Christine Avenue say the scheme will create traffic chaos and put pupils' safety at risk.

Mr Smith, who lives in Holyhead Road, said they estimated the scheme could bring an extra 69 vehicles to the area for the school run.

He said the protestors felt their reasons for opposing the scheme had not really been listened to.

John Kearns, from the Stop the Ercall 85 Campaign which is opposed to the new houses being built on the school playing fields, said the planning decision had come as a terrible blow.

He said: "Most of us were outraged that the decision of the board.Most councillors seemed totally unconcerned about the loss of the green field space."

By Judith Sanders