School closures: MP calls for urgent meeting with Minister

Mike Penning seeks government funding for schools until negotiations over new homes proposal are complete.

Hemel Hempstead MP, Mike Penning, has written to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills requesting an urgent meeting to discuss funding for primary schools. The County Council has been forced to close or merge a number of local primary schools as under present government rules they have insufficient numbers of pupils to qualify for funding.

At a time when the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) is attempting to impose 12,000 new homes in the town, it is obvious that – even if local campaigns manage to scale down such massive development – there will be a demand for more school places in the near future.

Mike Penning said:

“It is a short-sighted move to close schools, while at the same time proposing the largest increase in house-building in the town since the construction of the new town in the 1950s.”

“It is a clear case of one government department going in one direction whilst at the same time another government department going in the opposite direction.”

In the letter Mike calls for:

“…some joined up departmental thinking so at least these schools could be funded while the ongoing negotiations in relation to the new homes is being carried out.”

He said:

“It seems a sensible move to allow the rules to be broken for a couple of years to enable these schools to survive – at least until we know what is going to happen with regard to the EEDA’s proposals. Once these schools are closed, it will be virtually impossible to reopen them – the buildings and land would probably be used for something else by then. All we need here is a little bit of common sense!”