A NEW primary school on the edge of Launceston is a top priority, councillors and residents were told at a meeting in the town last week.

The new school, to be built as part of the Hay Common housing scheme, would also take pupils from the Stourscombe housing estate.

The issue was to the fore at a meeting of the Launceston Community Network Panel last Wednesday in the town's Guildhall.

Joining the panel, which is made up of all five Cornwall Councillors for the area and representatives of the 16 parishes in the community, were guest speakers from housing developers, Cornwall Council's planning, children, schools and families service, and highways teams.

Panel chair Liberal Democrat Cornwall Councillor Jade Farrington told the meeting the need for a new school was 'a big topic' in the town and the surrounding parishes.

She said:?"We all know about the new school at Hay Common being given planning permission and people have been very keen to find out about how quickly the school can be built to meet their children's needs. This evening gives you the chance to ask those question."

Sharon Hindley, access and infrastructure manager for Cornwall Council, said: "Launceston town is at critical mass in terms of school places. Some children cannot get into a school within five miles of their home. Launceston is absolutely at the top of priority.

"We're now future-proofing areas to meet future demands. With birth rate increasing by six percent year after year, as well as net migration increasing year on year, even the rural schools are starting to feel the pressure of the overspill from town schools."

One way of increasing spaces in primary schools is to expand the current ones, but none of them are deemed feasible.

Mrs Hindley said Windmill is land-locked and it would not be possible for space reasons, whereas although there is space at St Catherine's and St Stephen's primary schools both have access issues, especially St Catherine's with the amount of traffic that blocks up the roads at dropping off and picking up times. And at St Stephen's there is enough room, the hilly nature of the site would make an expansion very expensive.

For these reasons, the best option for everyone would be for the new school at Hay Common to go ahead, and 'the sooner the better' according to councillors and local residents.

For the full report, and a round-up of the area news and sport, see this week's edition of the Post.