Alleyns Junior School - planning

[Townleygreen]

Well he/she can overall Southwark's decision and make the final arbitration.

[TheCat]

If they guarantee places to local kids, I won't object....

[James Barber]

No, if the school is refused planning permission by Southwark Council the applicant can appeal that decision. A planning inspector then re runs the decision either based solely on written evidence or holding a F2F element for oral evidence to be heard. The inspector then writes a report making a recommendation to grant or refuse permission. The relevant minister usually rubber stamps that decision but can and does rarely take a different view to that planning inspector recommendation.

The only route to challenge IF Southwark Council were to grant permission would be via a Judicial Review within 3 months if there was evidence Southwark had not followed their processes or the law in reaching its decision.

The planning system is biased towards applicants (clearly in my personal view).

[dulwichgenie]

The stats for Dulwich Village Infants for 2019 is that out of 270 pupils, 252 walked, cycled or scooted to school so yes, whilst some people do drive, 93% of the pupil population don't! I suspect this has % has increased over time due to increased awareness and terrible traffic.

The business model for the the Foundation schools has evolved over time so that the emphasis is on solely on academic achievement which means that there are naturally more people driving and coaches busing kids in from West London etc.

[Pandicorn]

There are many local children who walk, cycle or get the bus to go to the Foundation Schools (especially the junior/ prep schools) and we local parents work hard to pay for them to attend.

We choose to do this rather than pay the huge uplift that very few can afford, to live within 100m catchment area of a 'local school' which prices out and therefore edges out families who really need thir kids to attend a good state school, all the while secretly feeling smug that you've somehow got close to a private school education - or at least to only mixing with other middle class people - for free. I speak from personal experience of friends who would only allow their children to go to particular high achieving state schools, and who have attended church and moved home to get them in, and then complain about we parents who pay taxes to support state schools, and then on top of that choose to pay more for our own childrens' education. Very boring to hear people complain about private school privilege when they've contributed to a damaging privilege system within the state school infrastructure.

[Orange owl]

You should choose your friends more carefully

[gkb]

It is clear to anyone who lives locally that when the Foundation schools are on holiday the local traffic reduces considerably. Increased traffic at school opening and closing times is due to the success of the local state schools which serve the local catchment areas, resulting in the Foundation schools having to attract pupils from further afield causing increased traffic transporting children into our local area. There is a huge amount of local resentment towards Alleyns in particular and their continued lack of consideration over the number of cars owned by their staff and pupils that park in the neighbouring residential roads. This planning application is totally selfish and of course just to enable the school to make more profits irrespective of the local community and local environment.

[Asset]

We're talking about pollution and traffic levels - it's not a debate about private v state education. That's for another thread.

By the school's own admission on the impact statements over 40% of junior pupils and staff drive to the school. Much higher than for the local state schools (on less than 10%)

You cannot deny that the foundation school traffic causes a huge problem in the area.

[DuncanW]

To be fair, there has been a significant increase in demand for both junior and senior school places in the area. The state sector has increased capacity with whole new schools being built and some existing schools increasing intake from 2 form to 3 form entry.

Although the independent system is unpopular with some, as it stands there is no compelling reason why the independent sector should not also increase capacity.

There is an issue though with volume of traffic and a worrying level of inconsiderate and dangerous driving and parking around these schools though. As has been mentioned already, the nature of these schools means a higher proportion travel in, plus they are more likely to have siblings attending different schools which means it?s more likely they are driven to school, so most of the issues that also exist at local state schools are multiplied.

I believe the council are looking closely at traffic management specifically around Calton and Townley Road. I hope they are bold enough to implement the solutions that are needed to address this quite serious problem.

[hammerman]

Yes Alleyns really do need to addresss the parking situation in the area as do the new Charter School.

It was also a sad day when the local scouts hut/teenage get together/todder group was suddenly taken over by Alleyns a few years ago with not a lot of warning to these groups. This caused a loss of a local venue with a detriment effect on the local community.

[alice]

D. The solution to the parking problem at alleyns involves using the massive space they have between the school building and the public road. This would be much safer for students and those using townley road.

[goldilocks]

I don't think there's only a 'parking problem' for Alleyn's and the other independents, rather there's a 'driving problem'. Gridlocked roads making it dangerous to cycle on or cross as a pedestrian and illegal levels of air quality are a huge concern, the parking for me is a secondary issue (though also a problem).

As above, I think that they should be able to expand from a commercial perspective, but not to the extent this brings harm to the rest of the community - ie this commercial need shouldn't come above all else!

Hammerman - interested to understand why you commented on the new Charter school - it was my understanding that their figures for how kids get to school had in excess of 90% walking - does this not seem accurate?

[James Barber]

Hi Hammerman,

I think you're talking about JAGS and the Sea Cadets and the hut they rented from the Dulwich Estate.

[macutd]

James, I hope that you're up for election. I would defiantly vote for you

[Penguin68]

I would defiantly vote for you

That would be defiantly ignoring the electoral pact with the Greens, would it?

[alice]

Goldilocks there is a parking problem caused by the many coaches that park along that road.

[goldilocks]

I agree that the ridiculous parking of multiple coaches along Townley is a problem - and the foundation schools really ought to look to a solution that isn't huge coaches travelling through and parking on wholly unsuitable roads. EV minibuses might be a better option - or a central drop off point with a 'walking bus to the school' from that point.

I guess the main problem is that there is no mechanism at the moment to force any change. The roads are providing free parking for everyone and there isn't really a way of restricting it only for foundation coaches much as we might want to do that. I'm also torn - as I definitely wouldn't want more foundation school parents to drive their offspring to the schools so the coaches are a necessary evil to a certain extent (though as per above - they could be much improved).

[macutd]

park the coaches on site. Alleyns has plenty of land. They just need a little tarmac.

[Townleygreen]

macutd said "park the coaches on site. Alleyns has plenty of land. They just need a little tarmac."

Alleyns land is Metropolitan Open Land - you can't tarmac it even.

[alice]

We?ve heard this before - outdated rubbish. In front of the school is half tarmac anyway if there was a will it would be done. there isn?t.

[Townleygreen]

No, Alice you are wrong. Southwark have not allowed car parking on any of the open land at the school. It's zoned as MOL. Take it up with Southwark but they won't agree.

[alice]

The land in front of the school does not fulfil any of the criteria for MOL.

[Townleygreen]

I can assure you that that is what Southwark has classified it as

[alice]

I don?t doubt you. There are grounds to get it reclassified. I?m trying to look for mol maps.

[sillywoman]

...and the school staff car park used to be in the quadrangle (behind the main building). Anyway, regardless the point is that they have plenty of land, and plenty of clout - Im sure Southwark could be persuaded to agree to use some of Alleyn's MOL acres for a coach park as and when it becomes convenient for Alleyns (which I suspect will probably be pretty soon, once the streets around them have been forced into having CPZ's so Alleyn's teachers can't park their cars there anymore, and the yummy's and nanny's can't park to collect the darlings). Watching with interest.