Success for Conservative new school buildings campaign

Local Conservative campaigners are celebrating after it was revealed that Chipping Sodbury School is likely to get a substantial refurbishment.

South Gloucestershire Council is expected to prioritise the school in its first phase of a major secondary school rebuilding programme – Building Schools for the Future (BSF) – at a Cabinet meeting on 24 November 2008. Chipping Sodbury is one of four schools in the district to get a share of £80m, which is expected to transform the schools’ buildings.

This latest announcement on Chipping Sodbury School builds on the success of local Conservatives’ sports hall campaign, which resulted in the council allocating £1.9m towards the cost of a sports hall at the school.

At the beginning of 2007, local Conservative campaigners had launched a high profile sports hall campaign, including a petition, and had an overwhelming response from the local community. As a result of the campaign and petition, the council allocated £1.9 million towards the cost of the sports hall and construction is expected to begin in 2009.

Prospective Conservative MP for the new Thornbury and Yate constituency, Matthew Riddle, said:

"I have been campaigning hard with my Conservative Sodbury Town Council colleagues to improve the facilities at our local schools and we are delighted that we have also got the council on our side, as well as the local population."

"This latest success for our ongoing campaign comes on top of the £1.9 million that the council has already earmarked for a new sports hall at Chipping Sodbury school. It shows just how determined we all are to raise standards for our pupils and give them the best possible start in life."

Sodbury Town Councillor, Paul Young, who helped launch the sports hall petition in early 2007 and collected signatures for it, added:

"We would like to thank the many parents, pupils and members of the wider community that continue to support our campaign for better school facilities. Without their support, I doubt we would be able to make such a positive local difference."