At its May meeting, Leeds City Council’s Executive Board approved public consultation on a number of proposals to meet a growing demand for primary school places in the city.  Leeds currently has a ‘severe’ shortfall of primary school places needed in 2014/2015 of greater than 5% – one of the worst areas in the country.

One of the proposals considered was to expand Guiseley Infant and Nursery School from a capacity of 270 pupils to 420 pupils and raise the age range from three  to seven years, to three to eleven years.  And a linked proposal to expand St Oswald’s Church of England Junior School from a capacity of 360 pupils to 420 pupils and lower the age range from seven  to eleven years,  to five  to eleven years,  both with effect from September 2015.

The Executive Report states,  “Previous reports have identified a shortage of places in the Guiseley area, where birth rates are rising year on year. House building in the area has also added to the underlying demographic pressure, which has resulted in the need for an additional form of entry. A report to the December 2012 Executive Board recommended that previous proposal to expand Tranmere Park Primary School from September 2014 was paused to allow further work to be carried out in the area. Whilst there was support from the school’s governing body and some of the local community,there were also a significant number of objections to the proposal, which led to the need to explore possible alternatives for Guiseley”. 

The objections to Tranmere Park raising numbers from 315 pupils to 420,  revolved around issues of parking, access, and the ability of the school to handle the pupils it already had.   There has also a suggestion that Green Meadows School could be consolidated onto one site, using the surplus site for a new primary school.

The consultation period on the two Guiseley schools runs from 3rd June 2013 to 12th July 2013, with dates on the attached poster.  A booklet containing more information on the proposals will soon be available online in the Schools and Learning section at www.leeds.gov.uk which includes information on public meetings and how to comment on the proposal.