County Council's Claims Over Efforts To Find Funds For Woodlands Meed Set To Unravel?

Governors of Woodlands Meed School are still hot on the heels of West Sussex County Council as they seek to get to the bottom of why funding hasn't been found to complete the full school site.

Two freedom of information requests have been submitted to WSCC. One asks for details of all the bids submitted to the government for funding, and the second asks about the status of the empty Court Meadow School (Closed when Woodlands Meed opened)

FOI #1 - Funding To Complete Woodlands Meed School

WSCC were quoted in the local media as saying  "We have put in bids for funding from government a number of times, but unfortunately these bids have been turned down"

Woodlands Meed have asked for the following information:
1. Exactly what funding bids have been made on behalf of Woodlands Meed School. 
2. When they were made 
3. How much was applied for 
4. The grounds on which they were turned down.

WSCC Must Respond By 9th December

You can can read the full request and follow its progress here:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/funding_to_complete_woodlands_me#outgoing-595965

FOI #2 - Funding To Complete Woodlands Meed School

Question:
Following the closure of Court Meadow School in Cuckfield, please advise: 

1. Has the site been retained by the Council, if so, what is the present use and what proposals are there for its future use. 
2. If it has been sold, what was the sale price and to what have the proceeds of sale been applied.

WSCC Response:
Court Meadow School was let until recently to Building Heroes. Unfortunately the Charity has now surrendered its lease. The Council is reviewing its options for the longer term use of the building. At present there are no intentions to dispose of the asset. :

You can can read the full request here:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/what_has_happened_to_court_meado#incoming-861908


Court Meadow School lays empty. Why haven't WSCC sold it yet and put the money
in the pot for Woodlands Meed school completion project?

Parent Writes To Director Of Education Regarding The Empty Court Meadow School Site

Deborah Eye - a parent of a pupil who attends Woodlands Meed - wrote to another Deborah (Meyers, Director of Education & Skills at WSCC) to ask what was happening to Court Meadow School and what the money would be spent on when it's sold - the logical answer being to help complete Woodlands Meed.

Deborah Meyers response was to say that WSCC are working closely with the Headteacher and governing body representatives at the school to progress investment.

She made no comment on the Court Meadow site at all, why?




3,500 signatures gained through an online and paper petition
Keen to force the issue, 3,000 signatures were required on a petition which would require West Sussex County Council to debate the future of Woodlands Meed at a full meeting of the local authority. 3,5000 signatures were obtained, however, as some parents and pupils who signed the petition don't live in West Sussex, these signatures have been discounted. Woodlands Meed are hoping that WSCC see sense on this and still hold a full debate.



For up-to-date information on Woodlands Meed's fight to have the whole school project completed, take a look at their Facebook page here:
https://www.facebook.com/CompleteWM/