Burial ground could be temporary site for Cambourne school
LAND earmarked for a burial ground could become the site of a temporary school to address the urgent need for primary school places in Cambourne. As The Hunts Post went to press last night (Tuesday) a special meeting was being held at The Hub Community Ce
LAND earmarked for a burial ground could become the site of a temporary school to address the urgent need for primary school places in Cambourne.
As The Hunts Post went to press last night (Tuesday) a special meeting was being held at The Hub Community Centre in Cambourne to discuss the possibility of using the settlement's burial ground as the site for a much-needed temporary school.
John Vickery, clerk to Cambourne Parish Council, said: "After consultation with the church it was concluded that the need for a temporary school was more important that the need for the burial ground.
"This is the only site that the parish council owns that is suitable for a temporary school."
It is hoped the temporary school will be up and running by September 2009 and remain in use for two years while the permanent school is built. Once a permanent school is ready - there are still ongoing issues about a location of where to build the school, the children would be transferred and the temporary building removed.
The land, which has not been consecrated, would then be used as a burial ground.
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Mr Vickery added: "We have had a lot of people contact us saying they are concerned that the temporary school will not open in time and that is why the parish council has been working hard with Cambridgeshire County Council to provide this much-needed facility.
"I cannot foresee any problems with it being on the burial ground."
The delay in providing a third primary school has left up to 40 children facing a 15-mile round trip to attend school in Hardwick as Cambourne's other two school's are full.
It is hoped the temporary school will not only solve this problem, but provide space for 50 reception aged children due to start school in 2009.
Planning permission for the third permanent primary school in Cambourne was rejected by South Cambridgeshire District Council because of its potential impact at Jeavons Wood, the county council's preferred location.
A spokesman for the county council said: "We still want to establish the third school on the Jeavons Wood site but the burial ground site would be a very welcomed temporary solution. A school must open in September 2009 on a site of some description.
