Petition re Dulwich Hospital site

[first mate]

LM, and I am sure an application could be 'unapproved' if it is shown it was not done according to strict process.

[edanna]

So should we be petitioning Jeremy Hunt on the future of the site?

[James Barber]

Hi LondonMix,

That's a very serious libellous allegation. IF you truly believe it then you should contact the EFA. If you don't I would suggest you edit your post.

I'm not a rep. of Harris so they might reconsider. But no one has asked them and they have provided letters stating they would prefer not to be at the hospital site. But alternative sites are made possible if Southwark Council choose to change their zoning. As I keep explaining Sotuhwark Council has chosen not to do this but promote a petition that fundamentally changes nothing.

You'd have to ask Harris your question. It is a little bit chicken and egg. Southwark Council and cabinet councillors have complained Harris wont talk to them. Harris complain Southwark wont talk to them but add they have regular meetings at lower levels. Both sides USED to meet regularly when Caroline Pidgeon was the councillor in charge of education. If I was the councillor in charge I would be arranging meetings, I would go and visit them in Croydon which I have done several times (and I regualrly meet a number of school providers). I'd make it my job to break down these barriers.

Equally, Southwark Council officers refused to meet Habs until I arranged the meeting and they couldn't say no. Even across the border Habs teach a number of Southwark children.

NB. Both sets of campaigns I have attempted to ensure are cross party. At the very start I have approached Labour councillors and tory councillors. The tories have supported both immediately when asked at the very start. The Labour ones blanked the primary one repeatedly and only got involved when we had over 550 supporting families for the secondary school. So it is very hard sometimes to be cross party when one party doesn't want to be.

[first mate]

James, can Southwark override the existing NHS remit for any surplus land to be sold for housing? If so, can they do this without permission of NHS England and or the Sec of State for Health?

[LondonMix]

James, not only have I contacted the EFA, I believe Tessa Jowell has raised similar questions with David Laws about how this application was ever approved as there was no campaign for it gathering specific support for this proposed school in Nunhead. Do you care to share the details of that application for transparency to clarify how Harris complied with the legal framework and guidance?

I can't believe you can see a petition that has climbed to almost 400 signatures as "no one asking Harris not to use the site". What expression of community desire could make it more clear that the primary school is not wanted on the hospital site?

You can point the finger at Southwark all you want but that does not justify Harris' opening the school in Dulwich. It just doesn't. At best its two parties acting badly and everyone ignoring what's best for the people they serve.

Harris should fight for the site they want in Nunhead or find another suitable site in Nunhead (assuming the original application that was approved for that area stands up to scrutiny).

[VictoriaMills]

I want to be clear that there is no doubt about the council's commitment to deliver a school on the Dulwich Hospital site. The idea that the council would stand in the way of the delivery of a secondary school on planning policy grounds is absurd and I think suggesting such a thing is irresponsible, especially in the face of so much local concern and support for the delivery of a new school.

I have therefore written to James expressing concern about points he is making on this forum alongside the increasing number of emails I am receiving and conversations I am having with local residents concerned about the issues being raised here.

As this is an issue of huge public interest and as much of the debate has been conducted in public forums, in the interest of transparency I have placed the letter in the public domain and it is cut and pasted below. I hope the detail in the letter answers many of the concerns being raised here.

Cllr Victoria Mills

Cabinet Member for Children and Schools

Labour Councillor for Peckham Rye ward

Dear James

I?m writing to ask that you to join myself and local Labour councillors in our calls on the Secretary of State for Education and the Minister for Schools to ensure that the part of the Dulwich Hospital site not needed for a health centre is bought by the Education Funding Agency for a secondary school.

My position is that this is the key to unlocking the site for a much needed local secondary school and to preventing that school being compromised by also trying to squeeze a primary school onto the same site.

I welcome the work you have done in supporting the Harris East Dulwich Primary free school and also your support for a new secondary school in East Dulwich. However, I am concerned at the role you are now playing in the debate about the future use of the hospital site. In particular, your recent correspondence with the Minister for Schools is deeply damaging to our community securing the secondary school it needs. I also believe it is misleading local residents who deserve only the best possible leadership from councillors.

Potential purchase of hospital site by EFA

In your letter to David Laws you stated that the Education Funding Agency ?could not afford to buy the recommended quantity of land? for a secondary school unless the site is ?re zoned? for educational use. The council has facilitated communication between the EFA and the NHS about the hospital site and the EFA has made it clear they are confident they will be able to secure this site for a new school. Contrary to your suggestion, there is absolutely nothing in our planning designation that will prevent the sale of the land to the EFA going through and the EFA have never raised any concerns about our planning policy for the site.

Dulwich SPD

The most up to date planning policy document for Dulwich, the Dulwich Supplementary Planning Document which was adopted earlier this year, has a very clear statement of the uses which the council will consider to be acceptable for the hospital site in an order of priority of health, school, community uses and then housing (with an emphasis on affordable housing) if any space remains. This gives a very clear indication of the uses which the council will permit and clearly prioritises a school. As such, it should help to temper expectations of the value of the site, should the EFA see this as a concern (which they have not to date). Revising the SPD would be a long process which is not necessary or helpful in securing this site for a new secondary school.

The only problem we have encountered with the EFA purchase of the hospital site is of course their current intention to buy the site for both the Harris Nunhead Primary Free School as well as for a secondary school.

New Southwark Plan

The council?s draft New Southwark Plan states that the council?s preference for the hospital site is for a health centre and a secondary school. This is a clear statement of our intent for the site to provide a well-resourced secondary school, rather than trying to squeeze both a primary and secondary school onto the site. However, neither this plan nor a revised SPD would ultimately stop the purchase of land for a primary school nor would they stop an applicant trying to secure planning permission for one. It is irresponsible to suggest that they would. It is deeply misleading to local residents that you are presenting this as an easy fix ? it is not. It is also reducing pressure on the Secretary of State for Education and the Minister for Schools at the very moment we all need to be united in asking for them to secure the site for a secondary school alone.

520 Lordship Lane

You have requested that the council designate 520 Lordship Lane (former Harvester pub) for education use, to enable the Harris Nunhead Primary free school to open on this site. We are already investigating the merits of using this site for education but the case for doing this can?t just be to find a site for a Harris Nunhead Primary free school, not least because a school on this site would not be a school for Nunhead children.

Our primary places planning for both Dulwich and Nunhead suggests that the two forms of entry that a Harris Nunhead Primary would provide will not be needed in Nunhead or in Dulwich. You will be aware that a variety of expansions have or will take place ? at Ivydale and Bessemer Grange and new schools such as Harris East Dulwich and the Belham free school are also providing additional places.

I acknowledge that some local parents still feel their school choices are limited. However, if this site was to be considered for a new school I think it would be imperative that local residents be consulted on the proposals before any designation was made. I also understand that the Gipsy Hill Federation is considering this site as a potential site for the secondary school it has submitted a free school application for. In addition many in the community would like to see the pub on the site brought back into use. Rather than simply seeing this site as yet another easy fix, we need to ensure that there is broad and careful consideration given to all of the potential options for its future and that the option which is pursued has both strong support and delivers the maximum possible benefits to the local community.

New Nunhead Primary School

In searching for an easy fix, you have failed to mention the most obvious one. That is, that having failed to identify a site in Nunhead and having failed to work with the council to plan a school that meets the needs of Nunhead children, both Harris and the EFA should now work with the council to identify where we need primary places in Southwark and where there might be sites to meet this need.

As a councillor representing part of Nunhead, and with my Peckham Rye and Nunhead colleagues, we have for some time, predating the Harris free school application, been working on the plans to expand Ivydale School. These plans are popular and well supported by the south Nunhead community. They meet a clear need and mean that more local children will secure places at an oversubscribed school. Crucially they also have a site in Nunhead. Rather than talking down a local school as it embarks on an exciting development and talking up the importance of 'more choice? for Nunhead parents I would ask that you now respect the views of a community that you do not represent.

There has never been any doubt about the council's commitment to deliver a school on the Dulwich Hospital site. The idea that the council would stand in the way of the delivery of a secondary school on planning policy grounds is plainly absurd and to suggest such a thing is irresponsible, especially in the face of so much local concern and support for the delivery of a new school.

I therefore end by asking that you now use your position as a community leader to join me in pushing for what will actually deliver a high quality secondary school on the hospital site ? a commitment from the DfE and EFA to secure the hospital site for a secondary school alone. I would urge you to support the community petition to the Minister for Schools to protect this site for a secondary school and I would urge you to use your standing and respect in the East Dulwich community to encourage local residents to do the same.

As this is an issue of huge public interest and as much of the debate has been conducted in public forums, in the interest of transparency I will be placing this letter in the public domain.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

Thank you so much for the above post . It's extremely helpful .

[confusedbyitall]

WOW - Victoria Mills what a letter!

[bawdy-nan]

That's a very helpful post, thank you, Victoria.

[sarvester]

Well done Victoria!

[mrs.lotte]

Thank you Cllr Mills. Very clear statement of the Council's position. Much appreciated

The petition is nearly at 500 signatures.

[Shuggy]

It's very helpful to get clarity on the council's position Victoria, many thanks.

It seems that what is now needed (beyond everyone getting behind the application(s) and petition for the secondary on the hospital site) is to work out if it is possible to actually un-approve or stop the Harris Nunhead Primary in some other way. Why should a lack of alternative site be such an issue when the school is not needed at all and could in fact be built to the detriment of existing primaries?

It is increasingly clear that it should never have been approved in the first place. The justification for the decision seems to be based on evidence presented for the ED Harris Primary (Police station site) and no one even seems aware of any public support being gathered.

Is there a facility to appeal to the DoE to reconsider their decision? Could we appeal to Harris to pull out? Given the strength of feeling, lack of evidence and other circumstances of this case, surely the potential adverse publicity if the school was to go ahead could be something that the government or even the Harris Federation may want to avoid?

[Sandra Mcderols]

Twenty one more signatures needed so if you feel strongly about this then please sign the petition at change.org

[clux]

Thank you Victoria

[Cora]

Sorry Victoria shouldn't you and your party be offering your support to James seeing as he started this campaign rather than making out it was your initiative?....just seems a bit rich to start your letter 'asking you to join us'.....it just puts me off reading later parts of the letter which may have valid points in them...

[LondonMix]

Cora, if you read on the sentence is asking them to join their efforts to prevent the primary school opening on the site.

Later in the letter Victoria thanks James not only for starting the campaign for the secondary but for his efforts on the successful ED Harris school that will be opening on the police station site.

I think its actually unfair to characterise her letter as making out it was Labour's initiative.

[dulwichgal]

Yet another school?

[dulwichgal]

what if you don't want any school where the hospital it and just want the hospital? where do i sign for that?

[LondonMix]

Are you aware of the acute shortage of secondary school places that will impact Southwark over the next few years?

If you've seen the data and still feel the same way, then fair enough but if you haven't, you might want to read it before opposing the creation of the secondary school.

[James Barber]

I havent had a chance to read victoria's letter other than a skim read so far.

It feels weird to write to Cllr for regeneration and then the council leader and be ignored repeatedly about such a critical matter for East Dulwich. To then only to receive a letter from a different third Labour councillor after I've written a public letter to the Minister of State for Schools.

BUT Southwark Cabinet committee on 21 October when reviewing the new draft new Southwark Plan made only one change - which I would suggest is from our campaigning -

http://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/documents/g4863/Printed%20minutes%20Tuesday%2021-Oct-2014%2016.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=1

"

Page 105, end of the first table, the footnote:

73P East Dulwich Hospital site: instead of reading "This site is allocated for use as a

health facility with ancillary community use", should read "This site is allocated for use

as a health facility, once this is provided the remainder of the site should be a

secondary school.

"

Sadly they didnt take the opportunity to withdraw the Dulwich Hospital planning brief which still carries significant plannig influence http://www.southwark.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/4156/dulwich_hospital_planning_brief

which still states as its objective AS:

"

The objective of the brief is to provide a framework for the redevelopment of the East Dulwich hospital site as a Community Hospital. This brief also sets out the parameters for development of a mixed-use scheme comprising the Community Hospital (health facilities), ancillary office and community facilities and residential development.

"

NHS Property have engaged the likes of several international property delivelopers to tell them how much the site is worth as housing. This is likely to drive the value of the site as it did for the former East Duwlich Police station.

So I ask again publicly - Southwark Labour please withdraw the Dulwich Hospital planning brief and ideally replace it with something that supports a secondary school.

As offered previously over 6 months ago I'm sure we would be willing to fund this work through our Cleaner, Greener, Safer revenue funding if necessary.

[samstopit]

Looks to me like the change to the southwark plan is a positive one, since it specifically states a secondary school, not a primary.

The SPACESouthwark petition is at 497 signatures. Please sign and share widely.

https://www.change.org/p/david-laws-mp-don-t-squeeze-two-schools-onto-the-dulwich-hospital-site

[Peggy37]

Sorry, I've lurked on here for ages but never posted, so I hope it's not rude to say this. But your latest response, James, has provoked me too much.

How can you say, on an issue that you clearly and rightly think to be very important to ED and your constituents, that you don't have time to read Victoria's letter? The people posting on here have managed it, it is the response from Southwark that you have repeatedly asked for. You are being rude now. As one of your constituents who supports a new secondary school, and who responded to your own campaign, I feel that you are now ignoring what person after person is saying on here, for party political reasons that we are just not interested in.

Victoria, thank you for your letter. It is very interesting.

[LondonMix]

500 signatures.

I agree with Samsopit that the change to the Southwark Plan is a good step regarding planning guidance.

James if the EFA say they are confident they will secure the site for education purposes, why do you doubt their assessment?

[James Barber]

Hi Peggy37,

I haven't read it again in detail because I received it yesterday while at work at my day job. I then attended back to back meetings last night and today am back at work. I literally haven't had any free time to do the letter justice YET.

Hi Londonmix,

Becuase they have told that to the Harris Federation and apparently Southwark Council. But they have yet to fund a ?64M+ land purchase for any secondary school. And I keep reminding people NHS Property AFTER being told their land was needed for a secondary school soft marketted the land via several large housing developers. You don't do that if you intend to sell it at the much lower book value rather than housing land values.

I'd be delighted to be wrong. And I honestly I hope I am.

But the former ED Police station went to auction and was only sold for a new primary school when the EFA matched the highest housing developer offer of ?6M for 1,800m2?

Do we really think NHS Property - the people who told me school places had nothing to do with them and they didn't care suddenly becoming altruistic.

They are targetted on obtaining maximum ?'s to reinvest in the health service. They would consider themselves unprofessional if they didn't use every avenue they could to achieve this.

Simple maths the site, dependant on the re provision of health, could house both a primary and a secondary school. I'd prefer just a secondary school but that would take Sotuhwark Council being helpful to find an alternate site for the primary school. Harris have met Southwark Council property people.

[Otta]

VictoriaMills Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> As this is an issue of huge public interest and as

> much of the debate has been conducted in public

> forums, in the interest of transparency I will be

> placing this letter in the public domain.

You could have set out some useful facts without sharing this letter. This is becoming slightly pathetic quite frankly.