Council Proposes Relocation of School to Accommodate New Housing Development Demand

Under council plans, a school may be relocated to address an increasing need for places within a new housing development. Hampshire County Council intends to transfer The Henry Cort Community College, currently in Fareham, to a new site in North Whiteley, effective September 2027. The council indicated that this move is designed to provide an estimated 900 to 1,200 secondary school places required in the expanding Whiteley area. The local authority announced its intention to launch a formal consultation on the proposal on 8 November. Presently, The Henry Cort Community College serves students residing throughout the Whiteley area. With an influx of families into the region, the council anticipates that parents will likely prefer to enroll their children in a secondary school situated in North Whiteley. The council further stated that Henry Cort is projected to experience a proportional decrease in its student enrollment, leading to a reduction in government funding, which is allocated per pupil, thereby rendering the school’s future unsustainable. Roz Chadd, the council’s lead for children’s services, affirmed that she considered the “full picture” prior to making the decision to proceed with a public consultation on these plans. She commented: “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 period is scheduled to conclude on 13 December.