Fountain College has joined calls by Ferndale residents for the State Government to retain the old Ferndale Primary School oval as public open space.
Last week Ferndale Residents Association president Margaret Adams called on the Housing Authority to not go ahead with plans to build units on the site and instead let the nearby college and community use it.
Ferndale Primary was closed in 2009 and the site was split into three different parcels.
Fountain College principal Murat Sevil agreed with the association and said the oval would be better utilised as public open space.
“In July 2015 following five years of negotiations Fountain College purchased the school site from the (Housing Authority),” he said.
“In the end the college had to settle for the portion of the land which contains the buildings.
“The (authority’s) plan was to develop the portion, lot 502, on Karri Way into housing structures.
“When the (authority) goes ahead with its proposed development of the oval the Fountain College community, neighbours and the wider Ferndale community will be stripped of any use of this wide open space.”
Mr Sevil said the Fountain College community if given the opportunity would purchase the land so it could be sustained as an open space for its students and the Ferndale community for all of their recreational and sporting needs.
“We believe that the land would be utilised more wisely in this manner,” he said.
“Furthermore it would prevent future issues from occurring such as confining students to a small land as the school undergoes growth.”
