SO near and yet so far. After all this time, just when the relocation of Christopher Whitehead Language College seemed to be within our grasp, events may have conspired to deny us the prize.

Great efforts have been made to solve the problems of this popular school. It is burdened with an ageing infrastructure and doing nothing has never been an option. Over the years, the issue has created two distinct camps, one comprising people who want a move and the other made up of those who urge that the school stays put and is rebuilt in its present location.

Now, it appears that plans for a previously unconsidered site were being advanced. But these have foundered on the rocks of that perenially hazardous coast known as hard cash.

To call this disappointing is an understatement. Just a cursory glance at the map tells us that this new positioning would have had enormous potential and implications for not just the St John's catchment area, but for Worcester as a whole.

If this idea came to fruition, Worcester University would only be a few minutes' walk away, nearby Oldbury Road provides a major arterial link, and the buildings themselves would smooth out a dent in the city's outer suburbs' building outline.

Although the inquest has only barely begun, it appears that the usual lack of funding is to blame. This newspaper therefore calls on Worcester MP Mike Foster to pull out all the stops to ensure this bold plan does not wither on the vine.