"Published on Thursday 8 April 2004 14:22 THE DARING hopes of pupils, parents, and staff were dashed last Wednesday when the St Elphins recovery fund failed to raise the £3 million it needed to survive. A meagre 48,000 was raised by the optimistic school community, much less than the fund had hoped to collect, forcing the hand of the administrator to issue redundancy notices to staff. All hopes now rest on the passing of a watered-down planning application to build houses on school grounds to help pay off burgeoning debts. Last month the school issued a plea to ex-students, parents and business people for donations to save the Darley Dale institution. But no rich benefactors came to save the day for a school that has educated children for over 100 years. "The school has been tremendously touched and encouraged by the generosity of the public and the depth and breadth of support expressed in letters and telephone calls in the last few weeks," said St Elphins spokesman Nick Harcus. Robert Smailes, the school's administrator, has produced a planning application with 70 per cent less housing than originally proposed. He said: " We have made substantial changes to try and meet the concerns of planners. "However, we have reached the end of the road and this is the last chance for the school. "The situation is now so serious that I have had to issue redundancy notices to the school's 75 staff. I hope to be able to withdraw these, but all now hinges on the council's decision." Debbie Roddick, a member of the Darley Resident Action Group who oppose the planning application, said: "We applaud the planner's statement that it is not the role of the planning system to release land for housing development in order to provide support for a failing business." The school is now pinning its future on a decision of the Derbyshire Dales District Council's planning committee which is to meet on Wednesday, April 14." Reprinted by kind permission of Matlock Mercury |
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