A clearout of furniture is taking place at the former South Holland Post 16 Centre in Spalding, but mystery surrounds who is doing it.
Both Spalding Academy, former owners of the building in Matmore Gate, and the trust behind plans to open a school for youngsters with challenging behaviour there have denied responsibility for a skip full of furniture outside the building.
Matmore Gate residents have grown increasingly “exasperated” over the lack of information about a new Springwell Academy Spalding using the Post 16 Centre which has been unused since September 2017.
Bert Collins (77), of Matmore Close, said: “I’ve seen with my own eyes, not once or twice but three times, skips being used as chairs, tables and everything else is removed from inside the Post 16 Centre.
“We have a general feeling that we’re being faced with a smokescreen and nobody wants to talk about this plan for a Springwell Academy Spalding.
“I think it’s a done deal already and we’re so exasperated that we’ve not even been granted another meeting after the public consultation ended in December and we, as residents, just feel that Wellspring aren’t going to take any notice of us.”
Wellspring leaders met with angry residents in December when concerns over increased traffic and anti-social behaviour related to the proposed school were raised.
Responding to recent activity at the Post 16 Centre, Spalding Academy executive head teacher Laurence Reilly said: “South Lincolnshire Academies Trust is no longer responsible for the South Holland Post 16 Centre.
“Before vacating the site, the vast majority of the contents for usage on the main Spalding Academy site were removed.
“The Trust is now either using the equipment from the Centre, storing it for future usage or have already sold certain items, with all funds being used for the benefit of current pupils at Spalding Academy.
“Only items that were of no possible future use or were considered of poor quality and not fit for purpose were disposed of.
“The Trust cannot comment on any subsequent disposal of items by the future owners and cannot make any comment regarding Springwell Academy Spalding, which is not part of our education trust.”
Meanwhile, a Wellspring spokesman said: “We have been informed that work at the South Holland Post 16 Centre is the current user vacating the site.
“We also understand that they are using a skip for unneeded items, but this is not anything to do with us.
“However, we are still working on the analysis of the public consultation but this needs to be approved by the Education and Skills Funding Agency before it can be released publicly.”
Academy plan is under fire over traffic concerns