Alternative sites are being sought for a new secondary school which is earmarked to to be built on a beloved Bolton park. Haslam Park in Deane is currently the preferred site for a new high school for the area.
Last year, a large area of the public park and nature reserve was agreed in principle to be replaced by a new high school after Bolton Council agreed to release ownership to the Department for Education. READ MORE: Labour councillor quits party saying ‘backbenchers are treated as voting fodder’ by leaders At that time, cabinet member for regeneration, Coun Adele Warren, entered into an agreement for lease of the 12-acre park with the Secretary of State for Education to develop the site with Great Schools Trust.
At the annual budget meeting of Bolton Council, Labour lost an amendment pledging up to £1m to buy a plot of brownfield land in the area for the school, and to guarantee that Haslam Park would not be lost.
However, Conservative leader of the council, Martyn Cox, said that the DfE was undergoing a process to try and identify a site for the new school and if a suitable one was found they would pay for it.
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