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Stalling on new school is scornful of local democracy
NOW you see it, now you don’t!
Were we witnessing some sort of hallucinatory trick by the Town Hall education officials a month ago when they strongly suggested that a new school
for Holborn may be on the horizon?
This idea has been pursued by parents for more than two years.
At times – in the face of opposition from Tory-Lib-Dem councillors – they must have thought they were pushing a heavy stone up a hill, and that their dream was beyond them.
Then came a big smile from the Town Hall.
But this week parents must feel they are back where they started.
Officials are now saying that matters will take another five or six years at least, because necessary negotiations have to take place with the present occupants of workshops where a new school could be built.
Why should it take so inordinately long?
Politicians, architects, builders and developers are often non-plussed as to how long it takes before developments become reality in Britain.
They look in envy at other countries, especially China, where great new cities can be built in the time it would take a relatively small development to be completed here.
There have been countless newspaper headlines and articles about the future of the King’s Cross site for at least 20 years – and there are still questions hanging over it.
But however slowly plans proceed before they reach fruition in Britain, it does seem as if some Town Hall officials may be having second thoughts about the Wren Street site.
Parents who have campaigned hard for a school in the south of Camden are probably wondering why it should take so long to take over the workshops when the council itself is the landlord.
Both parents and local councillors feel they are being kept in the dark about the nature of the leases.
They have not been told how many years they cover, and what kind of break clauses, if any, are in the leases.
On the surface, it would seem that it should not be beyond officials to come to speedy settlements with the lessees by the end of this year.
Building a new school should then not take longer than 18 months. This means a new school could be opened early 2011.
There are too many negative noises coming from the Town Hall. Officials and the majority parties should be more open.
In their campaign the parents have demonstrated community politics at its best.
This goes to the very heart of real local democracy.
Ignore it – and democracy dries up. |
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