New approach to Chalkstone site called for
Wednesday, 4th August 2010.
A senior Haverhill councillor who admits to being 'hugely disappointed' by the council's decision not to proceed with a new state-of-the-art care home on the Chalkstone estate, has called for a 'holistic vision' for the whole area.
Cllr Anne Gower said she was 'speechless' when she discovered Suffolk County Council were ditching the idea of building a care home on the site of Chalkstone Middle School, to replace the current at Place Court in Camps Road.
"I was so disappointed for everyone," she said, "because they were all up for it - the manager, the staff and the residents. Thank God Place Copurt is as good as it is."
The council abandoned the idea because it became doubtful of the provate funding initiative (pfi) on which it was based and thought it could end up being very costly to the council.
The decision puts the fate of Chalkstone Middle School site into the melting pot again, once it becomes redundant under the change from three-tier to two-tier schooling.
Cllr Gower said the time had come for a serious discussion about the area.
"We need a cohesive plan around the Chalkstone Middle School site," she said. "You have the community centre and the properties above Strasbourg Square as well.
"It needs a holistic vision. You can't keep putting plasters on broken legs in this town.
"We need to get everyone together to find out what they want and what they don't want. The people of Chalkstone deserve this and the town deserves it."
St Edmundsbury Borough Council is currently trying to offload the community centre onto a local group to run. Also the nearby Vixen pub, formerly the Scarlet Pimpernel, is on the market.
Cllr Anne Gower said she was 'speechless' when she discovered Suffolk County Council were ditching the idea of building a care home on the site of Chalkstone Middle School, to replace the current at Place Court in Camps Road.
"I was so disappointed for everyone," she said, "because they were all up for it - the manager, the staff and the residents. Thank God Place Copurt is as good as it is."
The council abandoned the idea because it became doubtful of the provate funding initiative (pfi) on which it was based and thought it could end up being very costly to the council.
The decision puts the fate of Chalkstone Middle School site into the melting pot again, once it becomes redundant under the change from three-tier to two-tier schooling.
Cllr Gower said the time had come for a serious discussion about the area.
"We need a cohesive plan around the Chalkstone Middle School site," she said. "You have the community centre and the properties above Strasbourg Square as well.
"It needs a holistic vision. You can't keep putting plasters on broken legs in this town.
"We need to get everyone together to find out what they want and what they don't want. The people of Chalkstone deserve this and the town deserves it."
St Edmundsbury Borough Council is currently trying to offload the community centre onto a local group to run. Also the nearby Vixen pub, formerly the Scarlet Pimpernel, is on the market.
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