A QUESTION mark hangs over the future of the ChurcherÕs Junior School building in The Spain at Petersfield this week following the announcement that the school will move to Liphook in January.
In a statement ChurcherÕs College bursar David Robbins said: ÒIt is expected that contracts for the purchase by ChurcherÕs College of the site of The Littlefield School in Liphook will be exchanged within the next week with completion scheduled during the summer.Ó
Mr Robbins added: ÒFollowing completion a refurbishment scheme is planned for the site covering the buildings and grounds, to enable occupation by ChurcherÕs College Junior School from January 2004 following a move from the existing site in Petersfield.Ó
But the news means an uncertain future for the Grade Two Listed building which has housed ChurcherÕs Junior School for several years.
In February last year Churchers College announced that it had decided to buy the building before its lease there expired in September this year.
Governors wanted to extend and alter it to provide a permanent home for its junior school, but they could not obtain planning permission.
The previous owners of the building obtained outline planning permission for four houses there. In February 2001 this consent was granted an extension of time and is still current.
ChurcherÕs College will be hoping its plans to move to Liphook will end its long battle to find a permanent home for the junior school.
Plans submitted for a new school at Penns Place in l995 were refused and the school was unhappy with what it regarded as unworkable conditions attached to permission for a junior school on its Ramshill College campus. Governors then tried to convert the Moreton House premises in The Spain but failed to convince planners yet again.