HC Deb 25 June 2003 vol 407 cc784-5W
Mr. Paul Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what area of school playing field space was available in(a) Shrewsbury and Atcham and (b) Shropshire in each year since 1997; and what area of school playing field space was lost in (i) Shrewsbury and Atcham and (ii) Shropshire in each year since 1997; [120478]

(2) how many school playing fields there were in (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham and (b) Shropshire in each year since 1997; [120479]

(3) which schools in (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham and (b) Shropshire have lost school playing field space in each year since 1997; [120480]

(4) how much was raised from the sale of school playing field space from schools in (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham and (b) Shropshire in each year since 1997. [120481]

Mr. Stephen Twigg

There are no central records that show (i) the area of school playing field space that was available or (ii) how many school playing fields there were in either(a) Shrewsbury and Atcham or (b) Shropshire in any particular year.

Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 was introduced in October 1998 to stop the indiscriminate selling of school playing fields that had occurred in the 1980s and early to mid 1990s. Before then, there were no central records of how many playing fields had been lost. Local authorities and schools now need the Secretary of State's consent before they can sell any part of a school's playing field. Applications to sell school playing fields are only approved where it is clear that they meet published criteria and, in particular, that any proceeds will be used to improve school sports provision or education facilities.

Since October 1998 we have approved only one application in Shropshire that resulted in the net loss of school playing field that was capable of forming at least a small sports pitch. In October 2001 the Secretary of State gave consent to the sale of the surplus lower school site at the Grove School in Market Drayton to help the School to amalgamate onto its main site. The sale of this site raised approximately £1,000,000 which contributed towards the cost of providing a brand new building on the School's main site.

We have not approved any applications where there would be a net loss of sports pitches in Shrewsbury and Atcham.