Casting vote brings village school closure closer

8 hours ago

Martin HeathHertfordshire political reporter

News image — Parents of pupils at the school took placards to the council meeting

Martin Heath/BBC A group of adults and children posing outside the brick-built offices of Hertfordshire County Council in Stevenage. They are holding signs and a large white banner. — Parents of pupils at the school took placards to the council meeting

A chairman's casting vote has left a small village school fighting for survival.

Members of a Hertfordshire County Council cabinet panel were split down the middle on whether Albury Primary School, which has fewer than 30 pupils, should close.

But the panel chairman used his casting vote to support a recommendation that the school should shut its doors in August.

One parent described the results as "a massive disappointment".

Council officers said Albury Church of England Primary School was no longer viable as it was likely to have only 11 pupils when the new academic year starts in September.

It has been running at a deficit for several years, and the officers argued that the authority should not be subsidising the school at the expense of children at other primaries.

Google A primary school with a modern hall with white and red brick walls to the left, a yard in the middle and older brick buildings to the right. There is a white building with a triangular upper floor in the background, and a brick wall in the foreground. — Albury Primary School has fewer than 30 pupils, and that figure might dwindle to 11 by September

Kate Jolly, who has a daughter at the school, presented a petition signed by more than 500 people asking for the closure to be put on hold to give a recovery plan time to work.

But Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Lloyd, who admitted he was "emotional" about the issue, told Friday's cabinet panel meeting that delaying closure for a year would only "prolong the pain" of the parents.

When the vote was taken, six of the councillors voted in favour of recommending closure and six were against the move.

The Liberal Democrat chairman of the council, Mark Watkin, used his casting vote to support the closure.

Martin Heath/BBC Josephine Quinton with long dark red hair wearing a black leather jacket and looking at the camera in an office building with a white door to her left and chairs and tables to her right. — Josephine Quinton says the school should have been given a chance to thrive

Josephine Quinton, who has two children at the school, said: "It's a massive disappointment.

"I absolutely think we could have saved the school given the opportunity and it's going to cost them more money to close us down than it would have done to give us another two years."

Martin Heath/BBC Kate Jolly with long white hair, wearing a black sweater and smiling at the camera. There is a white wall behind her with a certificate in a black frame. — Kate Jolly presented a petition at the meeting which had more than 500 signatures

Jolly said: "We can continue to fight but I actually feel like the cards have been stacked against us."

Watkin said: "Decisions of this nature are never taken lightly.

"Low pupil numbers create substantial challenges for a school in providing a good education and financial viability."

The panel also voted to recommend the closure of St Nicholas CofE Primary in Elstree.

The council's cabinet will consider the recommendations on 11 February. If closure remains on the cards, there will be a four-week consultation before the final decision is made in April.

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