Effra 
Background to another fine mess
Even though Jubilee amalgamated Brockwell
Primary, Effra Primary and Grove House, there is a part of Brixton around the
old Effra site where parents cannot find a school. Jubilee, you see is full
up.
The council, far from being concerned
about educational needs in the area, is looking at property redevelopment. This
went to the Council on 26.2.03. Parents in numbers are quite rightly
objecting.
The parental objection has now developed
into a campaign for the very reason that there are students without schools in
the very area where Effra school was closed. The campaign is now afoot to
re-open Effra School, or to build a school in the immediate area. 
According to campaigners, the scrutiny
meeting of the council on 27th March admitted that:
- The council has and will be breeching its Unitary
Development Plan (UDP).
- The council has failed to provide adequate or
meaningful consultation.
- The council has obstructed and undermined its own
scrutiny process.
- The council has failed to consider all bids and
options for the site.
- The council has failed to consider the detrimental
effect of its decision on black and minority ethnic children.
It also was admitted that The prepared
scrutiny question responses were incorrect, misleading and incomplete. The
proposed development brief of the Effra school site is not worth the paper it
is written on. Once the developer has bought the site they will be allowed to
build virtually anything on site including multi storey flats - If their
planning application is turned down, they will very likely succeed, on appeal,
considering the emphasis on high density housing in the capital.
The population has increased since the
audit on which the plan was based (1999)- out of date statistics have been used
in their planning. Their draft plan instructs them to produce an audit of
community resource and need before the building can be sold – which they
have no intention of doing There are many children are being educated in other
boroughs (an unknown proportion through necessity because of the lack of school
places) that are not being considered in their statistics and that no audit has
or will take place.
Lambeth only have enough school places
for 57% of the borough’s Key Stage 3 (ages 11+) requirement.
After bringing these issues to light,
from both residents and Lambeth councillors, the Scrutiny Committee voted in
favour of “no further action required” – the executive decision
to sell the school site stands.
Those voting in favour of selling the school (other
than the chair) did not contribute to the two and half hour meeting in any
other way than towing the Lib-Dem party line and agreeing with their party
leaders, the council executive, by voting at the end of the meeting.
The good news is that the council executive were
formally given notice of the Injunction, which will prevent them selling the
school until a judicial review has taken place, a process that is likely to
take several months; a High Court judge on Wednesday felt confident that we had
a good case and would be prepared to grant the injunction.
In the meantime, you may email the executive and let
them know how you feel – their email addresses are;
kfitchett@lambeth.gov.uk
rgiess@lambeth.gov.uk
alunsden@lambeth.gov.uk
abottrall@lambeth.gov.uk
cwhelan@lambeth.gov.uk
asawdon@lambeth.gov.uk
jwhelan@lambeth.gov.uk
ptruesdale@lambeth.gov.uk
The scrutiny’s councillor’s e-mail addresses
are jdickson@lambeth.gov.uk
gevans@lambeth.gov.uk
bgentry@lambeth.gov.uk
dmalley@lambeth.gov.uk
jpindar@lambeth.gov.uk
dsabbagh@lambeth.gov.uk
ddwakefield@lambeth.gov.uk
ra'court@lambeth.gov.uk
cbennett@lambeth.gov.uk
tfranklin@lambeth.gov.uk
pmcglone@lambeth.gov.uk
bpalmer@lambeth.gov.uk
We need a few more people who are prepared to offer a
couple of hours to help prevent the council from carrying this travesty.
Please reply to this e-mail if you can offer a little
of your time or can help the campaign(s) to save Effra. Many thanks Effra
Action 07940 559496 www.effraaction.com |
