Lyndale School campaigner Chrissie Brie hits out at demolition approval

Chrissie Brie was among a group of parents who fought passionately for years to keep the school open.

The council's decision to close it was made back in 2014, when parents were devastated after their petition backed by more than 10,000 people was turned down.

Chrissie - whose son Alex was one of those remaining Lyndale pupils - told the Globe: "It's been nearly two years since the council closed our school and it's still very upsetting.

"Most of the children have been lucky and settled into their new schools, however this is not the case for all of the children.

FLASHBACK: From Left: Dawn Hughes and daughter Ellie, Jan Pickin, Chrissie Brie and son Alex, headteacher Kim Owen, Zoe Anderson and daughter Lily, Emma Leadbetter and daughter Neave following the leavers' assembly in July 2016. Picture: Craig Manning

"Some have not dealt with the transition well at all, the children have been ill and it has caused a lot of distress.

"A few parents are now looking out of area as they are not happy with the few choices we have in the Wirral.

"It has also had an effect on younger children coming into education.

"The two primary schools are full and there is no space left for any children who need to be placed in special schools.

"This is having an effect on main stream school as the special needs children are being forced into these schools.

"The council need to get their act together and realise that our children exist and need a specialist environment, which they are not all being given."

Pictures and emotional message on display at the schools leavers' assembly in July 2016

Globe readers had taken the school to their hearts and raised more than £80,000 to provide a sensory garden for the extremely vulnerable young pupils.

In a letter to Wirral's former chief executive Graham Burgess, presented along with the petition in October 2014, the parents of Lyndale pupils said: "The petition is an expression of the concern of parents, and the wider community, that the most vulnerable children in our society may be left without the care and protection that they so desperately need, and which it is a duty of a caring society to provide.

"We hope that Wirral council hear our concern, and do their best to join us in all our efforts to ensure that the children continue to have the best of care.

"Parents believe that this can be achieved by providing adequate funding so that Lyndale can continue to meet the needs of the children; and by providing a two – 19 facility so that children there can have a smooth and stable provision of services throughout their school lives.”

But after a consultation and various debates and meetings, the school, where many of the pupils who attended had profound and multiple learning difficulties, closed its doors for the final time in 2016, having been deemed 'surplus to requirements' by the council.

Below: Scott Howell with carer Carolyn during the leavers' assembly. Picture: Geoff Davies  

The consultation began after the council said Lyndale’s position was compromised "by its small size and falling roll, which both contribute to a difficult and potentially worsening financial position".

Pupils were then moved to other schools in Wallasey and Pensby.

Now, according to planning documents, it will be knocked down after it fell into disrepair and became a safety hazard.

Demolition plans were approved by Wirral Council last week, with the documents saying that the school was "not required as a council asset".

The process would mean a saving for the local authority, they said.

Eastham ward Cllr Phil Gilchrist said this week he wanted to see the site become affordable housing, something the area “was in great need of”.

He explained: "Parents were very distressed at the time and a number challenged the decision right through to the bitter end.

"They wanted the best for their children. It was a very emotional period.

"The building has been empty for some time and we have been debating the future use of the site.

"We want to see it become social and affordable housing.

"There's a need for it this end of the borough."

The planning documents said the single-storey building will be demolished using "traditional methods", but the process had been delayed while environmental surveys and other processes were carried out.

The site will be cleared and layered with a top soil until further notice, but despite Cllr Gilchrist’s calls for social housing, details of future development are "not known at this time".