“We want to move to the area but won't until they sort out schools in the area. Why would anyone buy a house in Long Ashton when you can't get your child into a local school. With empty homes as people are forced to move North Somerset are going to lose money on council tax unless they sort this out!”

“There is some logic to the idea that once new houses are planned then the people that live in them may have young children. If you get the cash from a developer for new houses then you cannot simply move all that cash elsewhere - new houses require consequential services which unfortunately requires cash being spent. It is a shame that it is young children that have to shoulder the consequences.”

“We pay enough in taxes to be able to request sufficent schooling for our children. Building more houses? - then supply the needs for for it.
I know the council can't jsut magic up a solution but there needs to be a common goal which is agreeable to all.”

“On my way to work I walk very close to Birdwell school and directly passed the front gate of Northleaze. I will be very annoyed if I have to start my days DRIVING in the other direction because of somebody elses apparent lack of planning.”

“We are now into our 3rd year of trying to get our 7 year old son into a Long Ashton school. He's currently at school in Bristol (an arrangement that we had to organise following N Somerset allocating a place further away meaning he would have to travel to school alone in a taxi).

Last week his school had a ''Bike to School Day'' with a Lord Mayor visit and special breakfast for everyone who took part. We had to bring our son's bike in the boot of the car (rather defeating the object) so that he wouldn't be left out. Bike to school? If only!”

“It's a disgrace that children can't go to school locally. Obviously North Somerset Council is utterly inept.”

“The first page of the North Somerset schools admission document states:
"Children who walk to school are fitter, have better developed social skills, are more familiar with their surroundings, have better road sense and arrive at school more relaxed and ready to learn... We would like as many children as possible
to walk or cycle to school."

All we ask is for the council to give our children this opportunity. As it is, approximately one third of 4-5 year olds in the village are likely to be less fit, have less developed social skills, be less familiar with their surroundings, have inferior road sense and arrive at school less relaxed and ready to learn. This is to say nothing of the wider impacts on the community and environment.

All this is because of inaction of North Somerset to provide adequate school places for the number of children in the village. They have now accepted that there is a long term need. There is plenty of space for temporary classrooms in the short term. So why are we still waiting for a solution?”

“Look, it's not rocket science. The Council allow hundreds of family houses to be built in the village, but don't provide school places for the children. And our MP (Dr Liam Fox) admits this is the worse case of school planning he has yet seen in his career. Our local school headmaster and Governors are sympathetic to our cause. So North Somerset Council, just sort out additional classroom space asap.”

“My son was another of the unlucky ones, allocated a place at our sixth closest school. I don't think anyone can expect to have their child attend their closest school as a right, but when a parent is given three choices and doesn't get allocated any of them (our three closest schools), there is obviously a problem that needs to be urgently remedied.

These children are in their formative years and we should do everything we can to support them.”

“As far as I can see, the developers of the new housing estates paid most of the cost of a new school to be built just a year or two ago. This school was too small before it was built. The council then sold the land the original school was on for yet more residential dwellings, and now claim there is no land available for a new school to be built.

So the council got a new school and money from selling the old school site. Surely, when planning a new school, you first research how many places are required? Apparently not. Party in a brewery anybody?”