MR PENDLE: Are boarded-up homes more important than our children’s future?

The purchase of the house is essential to enable it to be demolished in order for a new infant school to be built in the area.

It was thought that everyone - including the heritage trust - had agreed to this.

But now it transpires the trust has objected to its sale, and in doing so has thrown the plans for the much-needed school into doubt.

Why?

Does the trust really think that the future of a boarded-up terraced house is more important than the provision of decent school facilities for the children of Whitefield?

Does the trust think it is right for children to be taught in portable buildings rather than proper classrooms?

Would trust members tolerate it if their children were forced to be taught in such facilities because some group or other had blocked a development on such spurious grounds?

On the first two questions, Mr Pendle would hope they do not.

As far as the third question is concerned, Mr Pendle is certain they would not.

And for those reasons, he agrees with the calls for the trust to withdraw its objection to the CPO in order for the new school project to proceed as quickly as possible.

Whenever Mr Pendle hears stories of schools having to put up portable buildings to accommodate pupils, his mind drifts back to the autumn of 1968 and his first days at Colne Grammar School, when he and his fellow new starters were introduced to the delights of Huts A and B.

Portable they were not, of course - but the comforts of the present day temporary accommodations are far better than the privations offered by those basic structures 40 years or so ago.

In the spring and summer months, they were tolerable, but in the winter, they were very draughty and Mr Pendle and his classmates could not get into the main school building quickly enough.

Had there been the health and safety regulations in force back then which we have today, Mr Pendle is sure the huts would have been condemned.

As it was, they are - like the school itself - consigned to history, and the one regret Mr Pendle has is that he and other former pupils were not given the chance to have a last look round before the work on converting it to apartments got under way.