All Saints in Bradley at centre of £200m schools row

Feb 12 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A QUARTER of the £200m meant for new schools in north Kirklees could be diverted to Huddersfield, a top councillor has claimed.

Clr Robert Light, who leads the opposition Conservatives on Kirklees Council, said yesterday that the new Labour-Lib Dem coalition could move Government investment earmarked for north Kirklees to pay for a new school in Huddersfield instead.

He said: “It has taken just two weeks for this Huddersfield-dominated cabinet to start deviating investment from north Kirklees.”

Last month the Examiner reported that Catholic authorities were considering opening a new high school in Rastrick and closing All Saints Catholic College in Bradley and St Catherine’s in Halifax.

Kirklees could then move Fartown High School to the All Saints site.

But Clr Light said this would mean diverting some of the £200m of Government cash earmarked for schools in north Kirklees.

He said: “Bearing in mind a brand new Fartown school would cost around £30m, and Kirklees would have to contribute around £15m for the new school in Rastrick, plus the cost of the land purchase, the overall cost could spiral towards £50m.

“These plans are clearly to the detriment of the residents, parents and future pupils in North Kirklees and cannot be allowed to happen. Is this Huddersfield-dominated Labour’s commitment to education north of Cooper Bridge?”

Clr Light said the council’s new schools boss Clr Ken Smith was trying to divert funds to his own Ashbrow ward.

He said: “It is quite clear that Clr Smith is seeking to build new schools for his ward using funds that should be allocated for Dewsbury, Batley and the Spen Valley.”