I FELT I must write to correct information in a recent story (LET, August 10). The story under the heading 'Plea to confirm school plans' quotes me as saying "There ain't none" when asked by Councillor Chris Holtom what plans there were for a new school in the Ribble Valley.

I would not use such phraseology attributed to me by Coun Holtom, whether in a public meeting or private.

Coun Holtom and County Coun Sutcliffe are both well aware that the county council is actively seeking a site on which to build a replacement school for Bowland High School and also have additional places for the extra pupils coming through in the Ribble Valley area. They have been told, both by myself and by county officers, that there would not be a case for an extra school to be built in the Ribble Valley, but by combining the capacity of Bowland and the extra places needed, we would put up a case for a new building for Bowland.

This would also mean we could provide much more suitable accommodation than some of that currently on the Bowland site. All this, however, is dependent upon a suitable site being available at the right price.

It is a shame that two Ribble Valley representatives seem able to know one thing as county councillors and conveniently forget it with their district council hat on. This is not a political issue, it is an issue of providing suitable education for children in the Ribble Valley.

That is what I want and what other members of the education and cultural services committee also want. I would have hoped that we could have all worked together to achieve this, instead of playing political games of the kind in which Coun Holtom seeks to engage.

HAZEL HARDING, Chair of the Education and Cultural Services Committee.