Second primary school secured after campaign
PA MediaA community campaign has succeeded in securing a new village primary school.
Parish councils in Wynyard, County Durham, campaigned with residents and politicians for a second site, as families found the current one was oversubscribed and some had to travel out of the area.
St Joseph's Church of England Primary School, a planned free school for Wynyard, was cancelled by the government but the Department of Education reversed its decision.
Chair of Wynyard Parish Council in Stockton Robin Woolley said he was "delighted" local families no longer had to face long journeys.
"As Wynyard grows towards 5,000 occupied homes, we hope this spirit of partnership continues as we look ahead to securing a local secondary school," he said.
Meanwhile, chairman of Wynyard Parish Council in Hartlepool Kane Forrester said the collaboration between residents "has been excellent", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Melrose Learning Trust initially put the application in to build St Joseph's 10 years ago and CEO Roger Ward said it had taken "unwavering hard work" to win the appeal.
"We are delighted that the Department for Education has approved our appeal to establish another new free school in an area where local demand has been clear for so long," he said.
Hartlepool's Labour MP Jonathan Brash celebrated the decision and said residents had stepped up with a petition garnering 1,000 signatures and attending public meetings.
"I am proud we have now secured the reversal Wynyard needed and deserved," he said.
"This school will be built, now we need to move at pace and keep parents updated every step of the way."
