Protest march against plans to close Radcliffe Riverside (From This Is Lancashire)

Protest march against plans to close Radcliffe Riverside

7:00am Friday 10th July 2009 in

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HUNDREDS of people are expected to turn out for a march against plans to close Radcliffe Riverside High School.

Protesters will walk from the former East Lancashire Paper Mill (ELPM) site to Bury Town Hall.

They will be led by Ivan Lewis, MP for Bury South, and Cllr Rishi Shori, and will be carrying a banner stating “Stand Up For Radcliffe”.

Pupils and parents from the school are expected to join the march, along with members of community groups, churches, businesses, youth groups and the wider community.

They will gather at around 12.45pm on Sunday at the ELPM site in Church Street East, Radcliffe, in readiness to set off at 1pm.

Walkers will follow a route along Sandford Street, Bury Street, Fletcher Street, Eton Hill Road, Radcliffe Road, Manchester Road and Knowsley Street.

They are expected to arrive at Bury Town Hall at around 2pm, when several people will talk about the plans to close the school, including a parent governor and Mr Lewis.

Mr Lewis has urged as many people as possible to turn up.

He said: “It is the most important action for Radcliffe in a generation. All of us who care about Radcliffe have a duty to put up or shut up.

“The march is not about the grievances of the past but demonstrating that we are determined to build a better future for Radcliffe.

“Radcliffe children deserve the same high quality education as children everywhere else in Bury.

“By parents, grandparents and children turning up at the march, we will send a clear message to the powers that be at Bury Town Hall that enough is enough.”

The walkers are calling on Bury Council to reverse its decision to close the school and build a new Derby High School on the ELPM site for children from both Radcliffe and East Bury.

Radcliffe Riverside High will close to new admissions next year, meaning children will have to go to high schools outside the town until the new building is completed, which is expected to take several years.

Cllr Shori said: “I am expecting several hundred people to turn out and send a strong and clear message to the council that what they are doing in Radcliffe isn’t going to be tolerated by local people. This is a chance to have our voices heard and hopefully make a difference. Things need to change in Radcliffe and they need to change soon.”