A KENT secondary school would be pulled down and re-opened on a new site almost a mile away under radical proposals to replace three schools.

The ambitious £50 million scheme involves the eventual demolition of three Maidstone schools – Cornwallis, Senacre Technology College and Oldborough Manor Community School – and replacing them with new buildings.

The most controversial element is a proposed switch of Senacre, from its existing site in Sutton Road to the Oldborough Manor complex in Boughton Lane, Loose. Two new schools would be built alongside each other at Oldborough Manor with the names Senacre and Oldborough Manor retained.

Students would go through a common entrance and peel off towards their respective school.

It is understood that, under the plan, the present Senacre site would be sold off, probably for housing, with the proceeds going towards the massive re-building project. Architects have already drawn up outline designs that will be shown to students and parents later this year.

The redevelopment is being spearheaded by a single governing body, created when the schools joined together in the South Maidstone Federation, now called New Line Learning.

Governors believe the three schools, all built in the 1960s and showing their age, are no longer suitable.

A source said they were “past their sell-by date” and would cost millions to upgrade.

They were built to “cheap and nasty” standards, another source claimed.

It is also thought that there are concerns about asbestos content in the older buildings on all three sites. But the plan will go ahead only with Government and local council backing.

It is understood that a government minister and education officials will be visiting the schools to see for themselves what the scale of the problem amounts to.

School chiefs hope they will recognise the opportunity to boost education standards by having three new buildings.

THE biggest challenge to be faced by governors is finding the money.

It would be one of the boldest school re-construction projects in the country and comes well ahead of government proposals to replace all the older secondary schools by the 2020s.

However, the project might qualify for urban regeneration funding and school chiefs hope the revolutionary nature of the scheme will encourage officials to release so-called “exemplar” cash.

The source said: “We are pretty close to achieving it but we are not there yet.”

NLL chief executive Dr Chris Gerry confirmed major plans were being considered but insisted they were at an early stage. He also stressed that local speculation about the imminent closure of Senacre was wrong.

But it would close eventually, if and when a new Senacre school was built on the Oldborough Manor site.

Dr Gerry did not wish to go into detail because the plans were incomplete and funding was still a sensitive issue.

However, he told the Kent Messenger: “We are pursuing options to re-build all three schools. We categorically deny that there is any proposal to close any of the schools.

“We are exploring the possibility of moving Senacre to the Oldborough site so the schools can retain their separate identities there. But there is no firm proposal yet.”

THE biggest challenge to be faced by governors is finding the money.

It would be one of the boldest school re-construction projects in the country and comes well ahead of government proposals to replace all the older secondary schools by the 2020s.

However, the project might qualify for urban regeneration funding and school chiefs hope the revolutionary nature of the scheme will encourage officials to release so-called “exemplar” cash.

The source said: “We are pretty close to achieving it but we are not there yet.”

NLL chief executive Dr Chris Gerry confirmed major plans were being considered but insisted they were at an early stage. He also stressed that local speculation about the imminent closure of Senacre was wrong.

But it would close eventually, if and when a new Senacre school was built on the Oldborough Manor site.

Dr Gerry did not wish to go into detail because the plans were incomplete and funding was still a sensitive issue.

However, he told the Kent Messenger: “We are pursuing options to re-build all three schools. We categorically deny that there is any proposal to close any of the schools.

“We are exploring the possibility of moving Senacre to the Oldborough site so the schools can retain their separate identities there.

“But there is no firm proposal yet.”

THEREare number of possible public concerns surrounding the proposals.

The distance between the existing Senacre Technology College and Oldborough Manor is about half a mile as the crow flies but much longer by road and the extra distance may upset parents and students.

There may also be concern among Mangravet residents about students walking, riding or driving through their neighbourhood.

A traffic survey will examine possible problems caused by moving Senacre.

A new connecting road between Oldborough Manor and the Senacre area has not been ruled out, although a school source suggested that it might turn into a “race track”.