THE FUTURE of the Rainham Village Project is looking uncertain after Havering Council pulled the plug on the proposals to build a new primary school and children’s centre on the site.

Havering Council announced this week that they would be scrapping the plans to build a new Rainham Village Primary School, children’s centre and nursery on the site in Rainham Village.

Rainham and Dagenham MP Jon Cruddas said: “The council have said that they won’t be able to deliver on the new primary school, children’s centre and nursery but the key thing is to ensure that the rest of the project which is desperately needed still goes ahead.”

The plans for the Rainham Village project are also set to include a new health centre boasting three GP practices and community health centres.

But despite a change in the council’s decision to fund the new school, the project’s other founders NHS Havering argue that it will not affect the plans for the Health Centre.

Rainham Cllr Jeff Tucker said: “We are happy that we are still getting the health centre in Rainham but we really wanted the whole thing together, the new school and the children’s centre because that is what we were promised by the cabinet members.”

The plans for the Rainham Village Project were originally unveiled in 2009 and was planned as a joint initiative between Havering Council and NHS Havering to provide improved education, healthcare and community services closer to home.

Work on the project was supposed to start in January this year, but plans have been pushed back to another six months.

Mr Cruddas argues that he will now be putting his weight behind ensuring the plans for the health centre go ahead.

He said: “The doctors surgery in Rainham serves 5,000 people and is being run from a bungalow.

“We need state of the art medical facilities in Rainham.”

Cabinet member for Children and Learning Councillor, Paul Rochford said: “Last year’s Government led comprehensive spending review has changed the way both the NHS and the Council expected to fund this project. Both organisations remain committed to improving Rainham Village and we are now investigating new ways to fund education and health provision in the area.”