KENT COUNTY COUNCIL WELCOMES PLANS TO PROVIDE NEW SITE FOR SEABROOK PRIMARY SCHOOL 
Education chief praises Shepway District Council for Princes Parade initiative
The county’s senior education chief has welcomed news that Shepway District Council is planning to include a new primary school as part of its redevelopment of Princes Parade in Hythe.
Roger Gough, KCC Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform, said: “Kent County Council welcomes the initiative from Shepway District Council to find a way to provide Seabrook CE Primary School with replacement buildings.”
The district council’s plans for Princes Parade include a new £7.5 million swimming pool and leisure centre, a new primary school to replace the existing school in Seabrook Road, a maximum of 36 quality homes and extensive parkland and green space.
Roger Gough said: “Seabrook CE Primary School, which is rated as ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted, is a highly valued and necessary community asset, but the current buildings and split site are far from ideal.
“We have long aspired to provide Seabrook CE Primary School with new buildings. We wish to ensure that pupils are given the very best learning opportunities. The dedicated staff work tirelessly to overcome the challenges presented by the facilities available to them, and we very much appreciate their efforts.
“The possibility of locating the school on land owned by Shepway District Council at Princes Parade allows us to consider whether sufficient capital receipts can be secured from the school’s existing sites to fund the replacement. We are interested in hearing the views of the community and we welcome the public consultation work Shepway District Council is undertaking.”
Two sites on the 17-acre strip of council-owned land have been identified for the pool and school, and Hythe Town Council, organisations and the public have been expressing their views on whether they should be built at the western or eastern end.
The new pool replaces the existing swimming pool in South Road, which were confirmed as ‘past their lifecycle date’ and in need of replacement as long ago as 2012. The scheme involves the removal and proper disposal of contaminated waste from the site, finally cleaning up the legacy of Hythe’s former rubbish tip.
The Leader of Shepway District Council, Cllr David Monk, said: “I welcome the support from the education authority for a new primary school and I’m pleased they share our vision for providing high quality leisure and education facilities in the district.
“This ambitious scheme will transform the old waste tip into a fantastic sports centre alongside a much-needed new primary school for the children of the area, with beautiful parkland that will enhance the canal for us all to enjoy for generations to come.”
For more information about the scheme visit www.princesparade.co.uk
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