Reigate Priory Junior School consultation reveals distrust in county council

Reigate Priory Junior School is currently located in a Grade I listed building

Parents at a school earmarked for a move or possible closure have highlighted their "distrust" of Surrey County Council in a consultation.

A planning application to move Reigate Priory Junior School (RPJS) was rejected in February 2023 amid concerns about traffic and safety.

On Tuesday a meeting of the council's cabinet will discuss a consultation run in January about the school's future.

The council said the consultation was "appropriate, fair and open".

RPJS is currently located in a listed building in Priory Park, but the county council wants to move it to Woodhatch Place, within Surrey's headquarters.

The county council said the Grade I listed building and Grade II registered park setting made redeveloping the existing site a "challenge".

Two options in the consultation were to continue with the Woodhatch Place planning application or to assess primary school places across Reigate.

This could include expansions, schools amalgamating or changing to become primary schools.

Of the 975 responses, 265 (27%) selected option one and 665 (68%) selected option two.

Meeting documents said 118 comments in a further comments section mentioned "distrust" in the county council.

The report said: "Respondents mentioned thinking that Surrey County Council had an agenda for RPJS to move to Woodhatch Place and not trusting that there is not a solution on the current site, or another site available."

Save Our School spokesperson Chris Morris said: "The key element of the distrust is that SCC are marking their own homework."

He raised concerns about Freedom of Information requests not being released and the council "pushing an agenda that goes against the principles of a public consultation".

Mr Morris claimed the consultation left parents only able to choose option two to save the school.

Cabinet member Clare Curran said: "As a council, we feel the consultation was appropriate, fair and open and therefore adhered to the principles of a lawful consultation process.

"Cabinet will take into account feedback from the consultation, along with other considerations and decide on the best option to take forward."

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