A FIGHT to save a treasured school building for the benefit of the community received a setback when a demolition order was posted.
Labour councillor Tony Sherlock has demanded Cheshire West and Chester Council stops the proposed demolition of the former Acorns Infant School on Regent Street/Pooltown Road, Ellesmere Port, and has issued a Call for Action.
The former infant school closed in October last year following a merger with the juniors to form Acorn Primary.
Since then Cllr Sherlock and local groups have been fighting to keep the building for use by the community.
A notice of demolition was posted on the gate earlier this month.
Cllr Sherlock said: “The posting of the notice was the first anyone had heard about the proposal to knock down this building. There has been absolutely no consultation with the community. If there had been, the community would have spoken with one voice. They want a place for the provision of local services.”
Since the closure of the infant school, Cllr Sherlock and local community groups have sought clarity from the council about the future of the building but say they have met with a ‘wall of silence’.
Cllr Sherlock has met both the leader and chief executive of the council and a petition has been raised by local people and presented to the Ellesmere Port Area Partnership Board in an attempt to secure the building for community use.
Cllr Sherlock said: “Grange Ward is one of the most deprived in the borough and has no community centre.”
Cllr Sherlock lodged the Call for Action on March 14 having drawn a blank with all other avenues.
He said: “It seems I have little option but to use this procedure as I have used all the other routes available. I have still not received an answer from the leader of the council after meeting with him.”
