A meeting with parents to discuss the future of Cobholm Primary School will held locally today.The daytime meeting at 2.30pm aims to get local opinion on the issue and to keep parents informed following on from a letter issued by Norfolk County Council confirming its commitment to the school and the primary plan.

A meeting with parents to discuss the future of Cobholm Primary School will held locally today.

The daytime meeting at 2.30pm aims to get local opinion on the issue and to keep parents informed following on from a letter issued by Norfolk County Council confirming its commitment to the school and the primary plan.

Campaigning parents fearing for the future of the school's hoped-for primary status are hoping for reassurances after the Environment Agency appeared to have put the skids under plans to remodel and modernise to take extra year groups as it moves from a first school to an all-through primary.

It follows a meeting on Monday at County Hall to devise a new flood evacuation plan in a bid to satisfy the Environment Agency's stringent safety criteria.

Alison Cunningham, school development officer, who will be attending the meeting today, said: “We met with our emergency planning team on Monday to look at the existing flood response plan for Cobholm Primary School and to discuss what could be done to amend the plan, in light of the issues raised by the Environment Agency.

“Our colleagues in emergency planning will now be looking at how the plan can be strengthened and will be discussing this with their partners at Great Yarmouth Borough Council. We will also be having further discussions with the Environment Agency to see whether they are satisfied with this approach.

“We have also met with the school today to discuss short term plans. It has been agreed that the current year five will be able to continue at the school next year. A meeting will be held with parents this Friday to discuss the latest situation."

A county hall spokesman added that today's meeting is for parents to talk to staff at the school and council about the planning and organisation issues and the plans for the current year five who can now stay on at the school.

Great Yarmouth MP Tony Wright said he had met with headteacher Julie Risby and remained firmly committed to Cobholm retaining primary status and benefiting from all the planned building work which would have spin-off benefits for the local economy.

He called for swift action to clear planning hurdles that were holding up the process and said the Environment Agency should meet with the council's emergency planning team as a matter or urgency.

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