"Published on Thursday 18 March 2004 16:14 SCALED-DOWN plans for a housing development in the grounds of St Elphin's School have been re-submitted in a last-ditch attempt to save the institution. Earlier this month, Derbyshire Dales District Council's planning committee refused plans for 100 houses on two parcels of land along the school's A6 frontage in Darley Dale. The new and reduced proposal is for 30 houses to be built on just one site, nearest to Matlock. School bosses say the land involved is less than half that originally proposed and is screened by an extensive belt of trees. To make the new scheme financially viable, some aspects of the previous application have been axed, including the provision of new sports facilities and affordable housing. Joint administrator Robert Smailes said: "After the decision of the council to refuse our original application, I have been inundated with approaches from pupils, parents, staff and people from the local community, urging me to explore any possible further avenues to save this much-loved school. "I was on the verge of beginning moves to close the school down but I do feel that I owe it to everybody who holds St Elphin's in high esteem to have one last attempt. "I listened very carefully to all the comments made about the original application, particularly the point that the plans were too extensive and too high a price to pay. "We believe we have now identified a proposal that takes the smallest amount of land, has the least possible impact and confines the new housing to the most screened part of the school's site." Over 30 applications have been received from pupils wanting to join the school in the next academic year but these places cannot be offered while there is still a closure threat. The school hopes the district council can make a decision by mid-April because the application is simply a reduction in the original plans. The previous application was refused because it contravened the Local Plan which protects open spaces between Darley Dale and Matlock. By Will Kilner"
Reprinted by kind permission of Matlock Mercury |
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