Children could lose playground to cars

A school in Great Barr could lose a playground if proposals to turn it into a car park for staff are approved when they go before the planning committee.

The scheme for Hamstead Junior School has been put forward due to concerns about staff parking on surrounding streets. Tim Bowen, headteacher of the Hamstead Road school, said there was no question of children being disadvantaged because the school already has a much larger playground which is used more than the one proposed for the car park.

He said: "The school has no parking facilities. This is a consideration and it does not mean we will carry it out even if permission is granted.

"The playground was used when we had over 300 children but due to changes in the population of the area we have just over 200 now."

He said the playground was mainly used during supervised games lessons which could be transferred to the main playground.

It is used several times a week in the afternoon.

The news comes just days after another Sandwell school announced it would no longer be offering hot dinners to pupils when the kitchen is replaced with new classrooms.

Mesty Croft Primary School in Wednesbury plans to shut its kitchen for a redevelopment at the end of next month to replace temporary buildings.

Two 25-year-old mobile classrooms are just barely passing health and safety standards and teachers fear their days are numbered.

It would cost £250,000 to build new classrooms which Sandwell Council cannot offer but it would cost just £50,000 to refurbish the St Luke's Road school kitchen.

Headteacher Andrew Kirby said the school's first priority had to be children's safety and education. The school's board of governors will decide whether to proceed on July 8.

Options being considered include a meals on wheels style hot food service or just cold sandwiches and salads.