Hopes pinned on a £100 million project to redevelop Bridgwater's secondary and special schools into state-of-the-art centres have been dashed - and the town could be left without a swimming pool.

The multi-million pound Building Schools for the Future (BSF) Somerset programme would see the town's four secondary and two special schools rebuilt, before a countywide scheme worth around £500 million was rolled out.

But in a widely anticipated move, the coalition Government announced it was axing the overall BSF programme, introduced under the former Labour government.

In Bridgwater, Chilton Trinity, Robert Blake and Elmwood redevelopment is now under Government review as their contracts were very close to being signed. The Chilton Trinity site was going to house a swimming pool, to replace the Splash which closed last year.

When asked about the possibility that Bridgwater could be left without a swimming pool, Sedgemoor District Council spokeswoman Claire Faun was quoted: "I cannot comment, this is a political decision and we must wait on the news of the Chilton site."

MP Ian Liddell-Grainger said: "I'm absolutely disappointed and I have emailed Mr Gove for an emergency meeting."




Published:
06:21:15 14.07.2010 by John Bolton