Council plan is resisted (From Stroud News and Journal)

Council plan is resisted

RESIDENTS living near the proposed site of a teaching facility for troubled teenagers are going head to head with Gloucestershire County Council.

The planned relocation of the Pupil Referral Unit from Whitminster has been dogged by controversy from the outset and two former proposals in Stonehouse and Beeches Green have been scrapped after they met stiff opposition.

Now the county council wants to set up a temporary unit in Stroud on the site of the Roxburgh House youth centre.

The spot had been earmarked for Stroud Valley School so the split-site school could be brought together.

Now a fledgling residents association has got its teeth into the issue and has launched a petition calling on the council to change its mind.

"It seems to be a rather desperate decision, a knee-jerk plan," said Philip Trenchard, one of the founder members of the new association.

"They're saying they only want it temporarily and they'll hand it back over to the joint school.

"But they're going to put £150,000 into it then knock it down again in a few years, which seems a bit suspicious.

"I've got this feeling they're going for the place of least resistance and we're worried we're going to end up with it permanently.

Mr Trenchard said the residents were not just being NIMBYs and there were good reasons to consider the plans.

"What we're trying to do is get a good local school, which we haven't got at the moment.

"The school was offered £800,000 from central government to bring the split site together and then the county council says 'hang on, we want to put the referral centre there'.

"We are aware what referral centres are like and why they are necessary. "But we don't feel that it's a good enough site for the pupils."

A spokesman for the county council said: "The council is aware of the concerns raised by local people and is still working to find the best possible solution for all concerned."

The residents association will be taking their petition door to door in the neighbourhood and copies will be put in the Golden Fleece in Nelson Street and the Happy Shopper on the corner of Middle Street and Acre Street for people to sign.