Witham MP Priti Patel has attacked the Labour Government's decision to axe plans for a new school in Witham. The new Lodge Farm primary schools had been planned to provide 420 new school places to support the Town's growing population and was included in a Section 106 agreement as part of the 750 home Mulberries development to the south of Witham. The school had been planned to open in September 2027, but earlier this year the Labour Government announced that they were reviewing the plans and delaying them and have now announced they are minded to cancel. Priti said:
"It's disgraceful that Labour wants to axe this new school for Witham. With our growing population and more families moving to the Town and surrounding areas this would have provided a vital and much-needed new school places. The entire Town will be appalled by this announcement and I will be fighting this outrageous decision all the way."
"Families would have made decisions to move the Witham on the basis of this new school being built and they have been let down and betrayed by Labour. I have always campaigned hard for new and better public services for my constituents and the community and our local councils had worked hard to get the plans in place for Lodge Farm."
"Having cancelled the A12 Widening Scheme, put taxes up on local families and businesses, and now axed the longstanding plans for a new primary school, Labour have proven that they hate Essex and are making our County pay the price for their incompetence."
