School could move to meet new development demand

Hampshire County Council plans to relocate The Henry Cort Community College

A school could be relocated to meet a rising demand for places in a new housing development, under council plans.

Hampshire County Council plans to move The Henry Cort Community College in Fareham to a new site in North Whiteley from September 2027.

It said the move would allow for an estimated 900 to 1,200 secondary school places needed in the developing Whiteley area.

The local authority said it would open a formal consultation on the scheme on 8 November.

'Challenging decision to reach'

The Henry Cort Community College currently takes pupils from across the Whiteley area.

As more families move into the area, the council anticipates parents would want to move their children to a secondary school in North Whiteley.

It said Henry Cort was expected to see a corresponding reduction in its pupil numbers and consequently government funding, which is allocated per pupil, making the school's future untenable.

Roz Chadd, the council’s lead for children’s services, said she had taken the "full picture" into account before deciding to proceed with a public consultation on the plans.

She said: "This has been a very challenging decision to reach.

"I want to assure everyone that their views are highly valued and have been thoroughly considered, alongside the information presented by the county council regarding the potential impacts on the area’s wider educational offer."

The consultation will run until 13 December.