HUNDREDS of parents have shown their support for a new £4.5m primary school in Whiteley, which looks set to open in September.
A public consultation carried out by the Diocese of Portsmouth showed huge support for the 210-place Church of England Voluntary Aided school.
Whiteley Primary has suffered a shortage of pupil places for several years.
Parents have had to take their children to schools across parts of Fareham.
So earlier this year they asked for a meeting with local councillors to try and resolve the need for a local school.
County councillor Sean Woodward has praised the parents for their support.
He said: ‘This is fantastic news for the community and will mean that Whiteley children should no longer have to leave Whiteley for their primary education.
‘I pay tribute to all of the parents who approached me earlier this year to ask for action.
‘Without their wholehearted support we would not now be in this position.’
Around 95 per cent of respondents showed their support for the new school.
It is believed the favoured location for the school is on land owned by Hampshire County Council in Lady Betty’s Drive.
Mum-of-two Laura Poustie, 32, lives in Coleridge Drive in Whiteley.
She said: ‘I’m absolutely thrilled. This is the best news ever.
‘It will make such a difference to the kids around here. It’s brilliant for everyone.
‘It just goes to show that if parents get together and voice their concerns we can make things happen.
‘It’s an example to show that the community can make a difference.’
She added that primary education has been a huge issue across Whiteley.
‘We have got friends who have put their house on the market to move out of the area to get into a local school,’ she said.
‘It’s not a case of it being an inconvenience, it’s been a really big problem for parents in Whiteley for some time now.’
Providing no objections are received within six weeks, then the county council will agree to the formation of the school by January and it will open in September.
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