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Preston Secondary School Site Debate: Rival Petitions Erupt Over Higher Bartle and Ingol Options

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The Preston secondary school site debate has intensified with the emergence of two rival petitions, one in favor of the Higher Bartle site and the other advocating for the former Tulketh High School site in Ingol. Lancashire County Council is set to make a long-awaited decision on the school's location in September. The Higher Bartle site has been the authority's preferred option since 2022, but the Ingol site has received negative feedback in the past. Despite this, a petition in support of the Ingol site has gained 134 signatures, while the Higher Bartle petition has attracted nearly four times as many, at 509.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Higher Bartle site has been earmarked for a secondary establishment since January 2022, but the land is still not under the county council's control.
  • The Ingol site was identified as a fallback option due to its proximity to the new residents of North West Preston, where 5,500 new homes will be built across the two decades to the mid-2030s.
  • The Ingol site was criticized during a public consultation in 2023, with local councillors arguing it was the wrong place for a school serving the new residents of North West Preston.
  • A petition supporting the Ingol site claims that the former Tulketh High School site is a "perfect opportunity" due to its existing infrastructure and wide roads.
  • The Higher Bartle petition argues that the site is the "much more suitable" choice, citing concerns over congestion, cost, and drainage issues at the Ingol site.
  • Councillor Ben Ward, who represents the Ingol and Cottam areas, supports the Higher Bartle site and emphasizes that the debate is about school places and demand, not community rivalry.

Statistics:

  • 134 signatures for the Tulketh High School site petition as of Tuesday afternoon.
  • 509 signatures for the Higher Bartle site petition as of Tuesday afternoon.
  • 5,500 new homes to be built in North West Preston across the two decades to the mid-2030s.
  • The Higher Bartle site has been granted planning permission as part of a wider development of 320 homes.
  • The Ingol site was a school until its closure in 2008 and has since remained vacant for 16 years.

Sources:

  • Lancashire County Council's planning permissions for the Higher Bartle site, 2022.
  • Public consultation on the Ingol site, 2023 (results not published).
  • Preston City Council's councillors, specifically Councillor Ben Ward's social media statement.
  • Local petition on the Ingol site, https://tinyurl.com/bdftksb7.
  • Local petition on the Higher Bartle site, https://tinyurl.com/4npz5mxa.

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