Ridings-King Edmund Academy proposals

The Lib Dems have called for land at the two schools to be safeguarded if the Academy proposals go ahead. Cllr Ian Blair said: "Should the schools decide to go ahead with the merger, then it is important that none of the land value is lost to the rest of the community."

"If the Council itself had closed one of the schools then it would keep the land and keep the money received from any sale of that land. But if the land is transferred to the Academy then they could choose to sell off the land to the highest bidder and use the money purely for their own purposes and that might not be in the best interests of the Yate and Winterbourne communities."

South Glos Council's Cabinet decided to publish closure notices for The Ridings and King Edmund Community School to allow them to re-open as Academies in September. There were 203 responses to the Council's consultation, with 55.7% against. More responses were received from Winterbourne parents and pupils, where a majority opposed the proposal, then from King Edmund Community School, where a majority supported the plans. The Ridings' own consultation ends on February 9th.