Shrewsbury schools 'can cope as pupil numbers rise'
Shrewsbury's current secondary schools should be able to cope with the influx of hundreds more children in the next five years as new housing developments go up around the town, Shropshire Council leaders have said.
An additional 1,650 homes are to be built in Shrewsbury between this year and 2018, resulting in around 230 extra secondary schoolchildren in the town.
But council bosses have confirmed there are no plans to either increase the size of existing schools or build a new secondary in the next five years.
The council said there were 488 unfilled places at Shrewsbury secondary schools at the start of this academic year in September.
The comments come after concerns about how the town's existing schools would cope with more children were raised by the Shrewsbury West Residents Association.
Ann Hartley, cabinet member for children's services, said: "Shropshire Council carefully and continuously monitors the supply of school places in all parts of the county.
"Our forecast for Shrewsbury does not suggest a shortfall in places to 2018. There are therefore no plans to increase secondary school places in this timeframe.
"Should secondary school capacity in the town come under pressure, it is expected that schools will make full use of their current accommodation to help ease any pressure, along with the displacement of a number of pupils living outside the town catchment area who attend Shrewsbury secondary schools, particularly in the west of the town."
Councillors backed plans last month for the Shrewsbury West development plan, which will pave the way for the development of about 750 homes, up to 12 hectares of land for employment and a new Oxon Link Road between the A5 Bypass and the Holyhead Road.
Concerns about the scheme were raised by the Shrewsbury West Residents' Association, with more than three-quarters of people who took part in a public consultation during July and September stating they were not in favour of the plans.
David Kilby, from the group, said that if no new school is built in the west of Shrewsbury, transport plans will have to be made for about 150 children getting to school in other parts of town.
Shrewsbury's Wakeman School closed earlier this year. The decision to shut Wakeman School and Art College was made by Shropshire Council in 2011 because of "unsustainable" pupil numbers.
