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Islington Tribune - by ROISIN GADELRAB
Published: 8 February 2008

Protesting parents outside the school

Parents’ petition protest over plan to build playground flats

Kids need more exercise and we’re losing green space,’ say campaigners

PARENTS fighting to stop a primary school selling playground space to property developers are pressing governors to think again.
Campaigners were angered by Islington planners’ decision in November last year to approve proposals for a nine-storey block of flats on a disused area of playground at Hugh Myddelton Primary School in Clerkenwell.
Parents threatened to take children out of school if the building went ahead.
Now, more than 170 people have signed a petition organised by the Independent Working Class Association (IWCA) demanding school governors reconsider the decision to allow 32 flats to be built on the play area.
The Myddelton Street school argued at the planning meeting that the sale was needed to finance a massive programme of much-needed refurbishment.
IWCA member Sharon Hayward, who lives in Finsbury estate opposite the school, said: “We want to make clear it is still worth challenging. We’re trying to put pressure on the governors to think about this.
“There was a section in the original planning application which said the whole school supports the plans. I’ve spoken to some members of staff and been told there are some divisions among staff over this.”
The school has not yet sold the land and protesters believe there is still time for a rethink.
A delegation of parents hopes to present the petition to the school governors.
Ms Hayward said: “Planning permission has been granted but they don’t have to go ahead and sell the land. Kids need more exercise and we’re losing green space. School governors and politicians are the caretakers of land that belongs to the community. We’re constantly having bits and pieces of land taken away from us and we need to protect that.”
The school’s chairman of governors David Hankins said: “It’s not our land to sell. It belongs to the council. The school is not aware of any petition.” He said the school was waiting for final approval from the local authority before refurbishment begins.
In response to parents’ threats to withdraw children if the development goes ahead, he said: “In isolation, that is the wrong basis on which to choose a primary school for their children. They need to look at the whole package, not just the school now but the quality of what will be provided in the future.”
Islington Council’s Lib Dem executive member for children and young people, Councillor Ursula Woolley, said: “I am glad the much-needed work on the school can now start. There will be great benefits from the redevelopment for current and future pupils and their families.”

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