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Geography and Business Studies students across the country will be learning about the challenges of regenerating the Hythe in East Colchester when they return to school next term, thanks to Essex Education Business Partnership (EBP).
The educational pack was officially launched by students from St Benedict's and Stanway School. They were accompanied by their teachers to Albany Gardens where they met representatives of Colchester Borough Council who have just completed a public consultation on the Master Plan for the area.
Albany Gardens is a Barratt's development where 211 flats and houses have been built on an area that was a brownfield site when the resource pack was first suggested in 2002.
Project Director Hilary Sellens said: "Funding from Essex EBP enabled two of our Colchester teachers to take time off school to write a resource pack entitled The Hythe Challenge. It will be a great help in raising students'
awareness of the planning process and of the many career options related to working in the built environment."
The pack brings together the local knowledge of professional planners, real-life case studies and original source material. It was written by Heather Blackwood, Head of Geography at The Stanway School and John Deasy, Director of Business & Enterprise at St Benedict's Catholic College. Mr Deasy has already released the resource pack to fellow Business & Enterprise Directors who attended their national conference held at St Benedict's on 11 July.
"The pack was so well received that it has now become a national resource,"
said Alan Whelan, Principal of St Benedict's and a Director of Essex Education Business Partnership. "I recommend this pack to headteachers across the country as a first teaching resource especially in the geography and business studies areas of the curriculum.
"It is a testimony to partnership working, and we are grateful to the Royal Town Planning Institute East of England for first suggesting the idea, as well as the Construction Industry Training Board, East of England Regional Assembly, Colchester Borough Council, Essex County Council and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors East of England."
Councillor Brian Jarvis, Colchester Borough Council's Portfolio Holder for Renaissance, said: "The regeneration of East Colchester is a really exciting project, and it's great that young people throughout the region and further afield will be finding out more about some of the work planned for the area.
I would urge teachers to share the pack with their es when they return to school after the summer break."
END
Press release issued July 25th 2006
