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I walked round Mackle Park today, and REALLY looked at where the proposed school will be. How can anyone say it will not impact the green space. There are going to be buildings where there are presently no buildings, just grass and trees that will be GONE.

And as for sharing the facilities, presumably (and rightly) the school will not want members of the public (who may be sexual predators) wandering around the school during school hours. So we may share the facilities when there are no children around!!!! Maybe 8 p.m. to close, and maybe part of the weekend. I don't think so. This land is designated for PUBLIC use - it must remain the beautiful, serene place that it is for the public.

They will need extended car parking - after all won't all the seniors at least be driving their own cars. And off-island children will be bussed in presumably.

Ms. Watts says "there is tons of money available through grants". Am I the only person who finds this remark insensitive and offensive in these hard financial times. If there is tons of money, it should be directed at those poor people who have found themselves homeless and jobless through no fault of their own. How about financing some Habitat for Humanity homes? Or what about directing it at the current schools, to make improvements so that the level of education there is upgraded.

I spoke to many people since Sunday, when the news was first broken. People who keep themselves abreast of what is going on on our Island - nobody had any inkling that this was going before the Council first thing Monday morning. Not any time at all to change commitments, to be able to attend and voice our concerns. How strange this is!

We must have an Island wide vote on this - it is too important, and has been sprung into being too quickly. We need a Referendum. And we need everybody to be aware of what is happening.