The campaign against relocating Tipton St John Primary School to Ottery St Mary is continuing.

Between 50 and 100 people attended a drop-in session yesterday evening (Wednesday, May 22) to ask questions about the proposed rebuilding of the school at the Thorne Farm site.

The three-hour session was part of the public consultation on the relocation, providing a chance to meet and question the school governors, along with representatives of Devon County Council and the Diocese of Exeter.

The Department for Education is funding the new school and many people, including the school governors, are keen to push forward with the rebuild at Thorne Farm, getting pupils and staff into safe, purpose-built accommodation as soon as possible.

But according to Cllr Jess  Bailey, who represents the Otter Valley on Devon County Council, a lot of people are not convinced by the arguments being put forward for the relocation out of Tipton.

Many feel that the options for rebuilding on either of two possible sites in Tipton St John haven’t been explored properly.

They are also questioning the claim that many Tipton Primary pupils live in Ottery St Mary and would find a school in the town more suitable. The Ottery school catchment area includes villages such as Fluxton which are much closer to Tipton.

Cllr Bailey said Tipton Primary is very much at the heart of the village community and part of residents’ everyday lives. A 'Keep Tipton St John School in Tipton' is attracting a lot of support.

She said: “This is a really emotional campaign. People feel that their community will be eroded and destroyed if the school is lost.

 “I think the Department for Education (DfE) and Devon County Council should be trying to overcome the barriers with the potential new sites in Tipton. The biggest barrier being that the DfE programme does not include money to actually buy a site.”

The initial consultation runs until June 19. On June 24 the governors of the Otter Valley Federation, which runs Tipton Primary, will decide whether to go ahead with the relocation. If they do proceed, there will be a formal four-week consultation, ending on July 25, and the final decision will be made by Devon County Council in September.