Down High new site is welcomed

SIR, — I was delighted to read in last week’s edition that building work on Down High School’s new multi-million pound campus at the Strangford Road in Downpatrick may soon be underway.

The provision of a new school is long overdue and something students, teachers and parents fully deserve. Over recent years they have displayed great patience as the wait for the school continued.

Since a new school was first mooted for Down High, there have been multi-million pound rebuilds of the Assumption Grammar School in Ballynahinch and St Patrick’s Grammar in Downpatrick. Both leading educational establishments.

With the acquisition of land for Down High’s new school now complete, every effort must be made to ensure all the necessary planning approvals are in place to pave the way for construction work to start.

It is over a decade since the new school was given the green light. Since then, progress has been painfully slow but now at last there appears to be some momentum. The wave of optimism that a new school will be built must not leave students and teachers disappointed.

There should be no barriers placed in the way of the new Down High at last progressing to meet the needs of an excellent school.

Yours etc,

EXCITED,

Downpatrick.

(name and address supplied).