Church must answer this hypocrisy charge over this Dales village school – The Yorkshire Post says

Young families trying to afford to rent or purchase properties in the Yorkshire Dales are owed a full explanation on why it does not appear to be practising what it preaches.

This follows confirmation that the former Arkengarthdale CoE Primary School, which closed last year after pupil numbers dwindled to just five, is to be sold on the open market against the wishes of local campaigners and residents.

Their case is two-fold. They point out that average properties already cost £300,000 and the previous desire of the Church for redundant ecclesiastical buildings to be used to relieve the housing crisis.

Now the CoE may say that the site in Arkengarthdale is not classed as ‘ecclesiastical’. It might also point to other legal covenants in a saga that has prompted the MP Rishi Sunak – the Chancellor – to seek answers.

But it should be set in the context of a question posed last year by the Bishop of St Albans, Dr Alan Smith. The CoE’s lead bishop on rural affairs in the House of Lords, he, and other senior clergy, attend bi-annual policy meetings with Defra. He added: “Many bishops are asked to engage with all sorts of questions: how are we going to have thriving communities in rural areas with rising house prices and so fewer families and so fewer children?”

On this point alone, the CoE’s response to the Arkengarthdale controversy is awaited with interest before further judgement can be passed.

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James Mitchinson