”We are a forgotten community” — Saltney Ferry parents on the school that might be taken from them
Parents who say they live in a ‘forgotten community’ have welcomed a decision to pause plans to close their primary school.
Fears remain however that this is simply a delay rather than a chance to save their school.
On Tuesday Flintshire County Council’s Cabinet made the decision to pause its school modernisation programme following a legal challenge.
The scheme is made up of two individual applications. One would see four Catholic schools closed and replaced by a 3-18 super-school in Flint. The other would merge Saltney Ferry Community Primary School and Saltney Wood Memorial Primary School into one, with pupils having to travel to the current Saltney Wood site.
The merger plan would see Saltney Ferry closed down, with pupils forced to walk 45 minutes to their new school.
All plans have been paused following a legal challenge to the consultation process by the governors of St David’s Catholic Primary School in Mold – one of the schools earmarked for closure under the super-school scheme.
The decision to delay has been welcomed by parents campaigning against the closure of Saltney Ferry – who were out protesting to save the school on Tuesday.
“Most residents don’t want this to go ahead,” said David Whittaker, a former pupil of Saltney Ferry whose children now attend the school.
“The fact Flintshire County Council has had to postpone its decision now raises serious questions.
“While we welcome the delay and hope that it means the plans can be overturned, families deserve clear answers, not silence and confusion.
“We are calling on the council to urgently clarify whether these plans are still being pursued and to properly involve the community in decisions that affect our children.
David added that parents had long held concerns about plans that would see young pupils sent to the opposite side of town to school.
“There have been many objections due to safe travel,” he said. “The council says it is a 25 minute walk from Saltney Ferry to Saltney Wood but in reality it is a 45 minute walk. Doing that on a busy road with three young children for example is simply not safe.”
Mum Leah Connolly agreed, adding that she felt the council had disregarded pupils and parents in the process.
“They are not listening to what the children want and what the parents want,” she said. “My youngest has additional needs and she loves this setting. She can do things she never thought she could, she can read and write confidently and she has no bullying here.
“We are one community and the pupils and families here support each other. We have to, there’s nothing in Saltney Ferry. We are a forgotten community. We have a primary school, a secondary school, a pub and a car dealership. That’s it.
“Saltney Ferry Primary has a farm with animals and is a community hub that offers great support for children – including those with ALN – and the council wants to take that away as well.
Their solution is to send children 45 minutes up the road. My youngest has asthma, she couldn’t walk that plus they would never get to school on time as I need to get my older child on a bus to another school.”
Cllr Richard Lloyd, who represents Saltney Ferry on Flintshire County Council, supported the idea of keeping the school open.
“I think a pause is the sensible thing to do,” he said. “I don’t know the legal side of the reasons why the Cabinet made this decision but I live in hope that the proposals are overturned and the schools stay as they are.
“It seems quite clear residents do not want this school to close.
“I have been concerned about the claims that the route to Saltney Wood is safe. I’ve lived here all my life, it is not a safe route.
“Myself and Cllr (Jason) Shallcross have long said we want to walk the route with an officer so persuade them that it is not a safe route. If this eventually does happen I want to see a bus to take pupils from Saltney Ferry across to Saltney Wood.”
Parents are now waiting to see what Flintshire Council’s next steps are.
“I hope there is hope we can overturn the proposals,” said Leah. “This school has been part of families for generations. Hopefully they listen to the parents and the children and don’t do it.”
Flintshire County Council said it had deferred decisions on both school projects as it needed additional time to review and address the matters raised in the legal challenge before a final decision could be made.
By Alec Doyle – Local Democracy Reporter
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