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County Council Leader Statement regarding Lowick School

Councillor Rex Toft the Leader of Cumbria County Council has today issued the following statement regarding the decision of the County Council Group on the School Organisation Committee to abstain from the vote regarding the closure of Lowick School. 

"The decision to propose the closure of Lowick School was not an easy decision but one that this Council's Cabinet recommended to the School Organisation Committee after careful consideration. The group of Councillors who represent the County Council on the Committee, in keeping with the other representative groups, discussed in detail the evidence put before the Committee on Monday. It is not unusual for individuals from all representative groups on the Committee to discuss and exchange views; after all wherever possible the Committee tries to reach a shared view. However this is not always possible. 

During that consideration it was apparent to Councillor Stocker, the Education portfolio holder on the Council's Cabinet, that it would not be possible to get a unanimous view amongst the LEA Group. Councillor Edgar, who was deputising for a councillor who was ill, had not been involved in previous debates or meetings about the school, and therefore was not fully aware of the Cabinet's thinking in bringing these proposals forward. He quite properly sought my advice to put him in the picture on everything that had happened to date. As a result he decided he should support the closure of the school. This had the result of splitting the votes within the LEA Group and under the voting rules Councillor Stocker was required to abstain the LEA Group from the final vote within the Committee. 

I refute any suggestions that there was anything untoward about the manner in which the LEA group acted and subsequently abstained. I also remain of the opinion that the closure of Lowick School, and the addition of its catchment area to that of Penny Bridge CE School is in the best interests for the future education of children in the area."