WORK has officially begun to tear down a former school in Winsford

It was revealed in January that the site in Beeston Drive, which was formerly Handley Hill Primary School, will be demolished, and work has started today.

Cllr Charlie Parkinson, who has been campaigning for 10 years to reopen the school, said: “This is a sad day for Winsford. We’ve got a perfectly good school in Handley Hill which everyone recognises was a good school.

“A result like this follows one of the worst decisions in local government. Residents won a vote to keep the school open by 25 votes to 22, but still went ahead to close it.”

The school was controversially closed in 2009 and campaigners have not stopped believing that they could one day see the school open again.

In early March, planning approval was granted for the demolition by Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Now, 90 houses will be built on the site, however, it was confirmed that the memorial garden, which was built on the school grounds to remember four brothers who were murdered in 2003, will be preserved.

It will take approximately 16 weeks to level the site, according to information from Cllr Parkinson, who has pushed for the school to be reopened several times before and says that demolishing the school is a “stupid, catastrophic idea”.