The site is in the hands of the County Council's property services division - who will, no doubt, be looking to raise as much cash for the council's coffers as they can from the site.

Local residents don't doubt that housing will go up on the site - with the accompanying additional traffic for the local roads which are already congested.

May I make an alternative proposal? That is to establish - in advance of the land being sold off - a community orchard, and allotment gardens on the old school playing field that backs onto the houses on Park Drive.

There is a national demand for allotments, and in many parts of the county demand outstrips supply. Community orchards, such as those found in Ratby, are hugely successful and would be a fitting memorial to all the 'old boys and girls' who passed through Holmfield's gates. If my old maps are correct, this was orchard land in the dim and distant past as well! >> Link - Community Orchards (Ratby) <<

Naturally the allotments would generate some additional traffic, but less than if the whole site were turned into housing, and it would show the County Council's commitment to its green agenda by making this land over to the community to grow its own fruit and veg.

I shall be writing to the Parish Council and to David Parsons to encourage them to support this proposal, and would encourage you to do the same.

Regards
Mike Gayler

To support the proposal for a Community Orchard for Leicester Forest East on the Holmfield School site please write to:

L.F.E. Parish Clerk Susan Jones Email: susanljones23@btconnect.com

David Parsons - Kirby Muxloe & Leicester Forest East County Councillor. Email: david.parsons@leics.gov.uk

Leicester Forest East Parish Council (Opens a new window on the LFE Parish website)

Councillors voted in favour of closing the Leicester Forest East school at the end of thr Summer Term 2010 at a meeting of Leicestershire County Council's cabinet yesterday.

View the agenda for the meeting >> L.C.C. Cabinet Meeting Tuesday 6th April 2010 << Opens new window PDF file

The school, which is in special measures, is being closed due to low standards. Education bosses said dwindling numbers of pupils made it "unfeasible" for the school to remain open.

Pupils will be accommodated at nearby schools.

Education officials will draw up a report on the impact the closure will have on neighbouring schools, with the aim of ensuring parents still have a choice of school

Holmefield Primary School in Leicester Forest East is set for closure despite a dramatic improvement in standards.

In June 2009 OFSTED judged that because 'persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement'.

As a result the County Council considered a range of options, one of which was closure. Predictably that was the preferred choice of Councillors despite opposition from parents, governors and staff.

Since then, under a temporary Head Teacher, the staff have been able to demonstrate their dedication and skills and a recent OFSTED report has deemed that progress at the school since the previous monitoring has been 'good'.

Rumours abound that the Council has plans to sell the land for development.

A source at the school has told GMB, "Since the problems have come to light we do not feel we have received much support from County Hall at all or been given a chance to turn this around. Our last inspection is proof of what the staff here can accomplish. As a result of all this bad publicity from the Council many of our pupils have been stigmatised and feel they are failures."

Progress since being subject to special measures –satisfactory
Progress since previous monitoring inspection – good
Newly qualified teachers may not be appointed due to the uncertainty surrounding the school’s future.
The quality of teaching continues to improve.
The pupils’ behaviour is good.

Read the full content of the letter on the Ofsted website from the following link
>> Ofsted Special measures: monitoring inspection of Holmfield Primary School 11 March 2010 << PDF file

Holmfield Primary School website