GAZETTE & HERALD: SPRINGFIELDS School in Calne has been left with a shortfall of £4,000 towards a sports college status bid after Calne Town Council decision to only award it £500.

The Curzon Street-based school had applied for £6,000 to help them reach the £20,000 target it needs for its sports college application but, with £2,445 left in the budget for the rest of the financial year, the council decided not to dip into their reserves.

Some councillors at the Policy and Resources Committee on Monday said the threat to move the school to another site in the town meant they should not support the bid.

Other councillors also had concerns the school, which currently hosts 64 students, would not be a residential school in the future and hoped it would search other avenues of funding.

However, the town clerk did tell councillors any new development would mean the school would be rebuilt like for like.

Councillor Tom Briggs said there are no definite plans the school would move: "If we are not going to support it, let's not support it for good reason and not some rumour."

Coun Colin Viner added he felt perhaps a residential school is not as important as it used to be while Coun Tony Trotman said the school's sports path was completely new and it could have turned into an engineering college, which is "something they have expertise in".

"I cannot honestly let this council give money to a grant issue like this.

"It's a great pity because we gave John Bentley School a lot of money to become a language college and I cannot see how Calne and the community has benefited from that."

Coun Simon Coy said he was disappointed in his colleague's opinion: "Sporting excellence does add to a community and I am disappointed he (Trotman) does not think sport benefits a community as much as engineering."

Springfields deputy head Trystan Williams, said he was grateful to the council for donating some money.

"We do appreciate any money from anyone but this type of project will probably affect the young people in Calne more than any other project at the moment."

If its bid is successful the school will receive £400,000 over five years, including £150,000 for a capital project such as a sports science laboratory.

There are 263 sport colleges in Britain but the total is expected to be 400 by 2006.