CONCERN is being expressed about not only the future of leisure and sports facilities in Coleford, but about the very future of Lakers School itself.

It is feared by a number of reputable sources that a decision has been taken to move Gloucestershire College's Five Acres Campus to Cinderford, making way for the demolition of the campus for housing.

This would mean the total loss of indoor sports facilities like badminton and squash courts, outdoor rugby pitches (used by Berry Hill among others) tennis courts and Coleford's only swimming pool – also the Forest Theatre.

Even more alarmingly, sources allege a decision is on the cards to take over Lakers School itself, moving it to the proposed Steam Mills college campus and opening up many more acres for development.

"I've been told that the decision has already been taken to move Lakers to the Steam Mills site," a councillor told the Review. "I've had the news from several reputable sources that the plan is to move Lakers. I believe this has been the plan for a very long time and has been done in an underhand way."

The rumours have been flatly denied by Lynne Craig, vice principal of curriculum and quality at Gloucestershire College.

She said: "The College can confirm that we have sold the campus to a Government Agency called the Homes and Community Agency (HCA)  in February, and this was widely publicised at the time.  We have leased the property back from the HCA for the foreseeable future and we are investigating the possibility of building a new campus, but are at the very early stages of this process. 

"The College has only sold the land belonging to the College and nothing that belongs to the School, which is the larger part of the site.  There are some shared facilities between the District Council, Lakers and ourselves and we meet regularly to discuss how these will be managed."

Nevertheless, Lakers headteacher, Alison Elliot, said she was concerned about the potential move of the college and its impact on leisure facilities for her 800 pupils as well as the wider community.

"We do have some of our own sports facilities but have a joint agreement involving ourselves, the district council and the college, for things like the tennis courts, swimming pool, undercover sports hall, gym and so on.

"They have to give a year's notice if they want to alter or change the agreement and it is also a statutory requirement for Key Stage 2 pupils to have swimming opportunities.

"There needs to be a full strategic review of the issue. The district council and county council need to be talking to each other and some explanation needs to be given about how these sports facilities are to be replaced. If these leisure facilities go how do you expect us to run a school without two thirds of its leisure facilities and where does the community go?"