School Rebuilding Plans - Leigh-on-Sea

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Leigh On Sea News: School Rebuilding Plans – RAYLEIGH and Wickford MP, Mark Francois, was briefed on plans for a rebuild, when he paid a recent visit to Hockley Primary School.

School Rebuilding Plans - RAYLEIGH and Wickford MP, Mark Francois, was briefed on plans for a rebuild, when he paid a recent visit to Hockley Primary School.

RAYLEIGH and Wickford MP, Mark Francois, was briefed on plans for a rebuild, when he paid a recent visit to Hockley Primary School.

The popular school was closed for several months in 2023, following the discovery of large amounts of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete or RAAC, throughout the school building.

Mr Francois supported the school throughout the crisis, including lobbying Ministers at the Department for Education (DfE) to provide assistance, including new, relocatable classrooms, which are currently still in use on the school site.

During his latest visit to the school, Mr Francois was briefed by the Headteacher, Mr David Jenkins, on the current operation of the school and the plans to eventually rebuild it, on the original site. These include engineering survey works, which are still underway, with a view to commencing construction of the new school, in around two years time.

Commenting on the plan to eventually rebuild the school, Mr Francois said: “As the local MP, I have stood by Hockley Primary School, ever since the RAAC crisis, over a year ago now.

“I was pleased to see the school is operating well in their current relocatable classrooms, but that cannot be a long-term solution, so I will continue to lobby DfE Ministers to progress plans to completely rebuild the school, albeit this will take several years to fully achieve.”

Picture: Mark Francois MP with Headteacher Mr David Jenkins, following his briefing on plans to rebuild the school.

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