Petition re Dulwich Hospital site

[LondonMix]

James, I?m not sure I follow. If the EFA say they are confident and in the past have been willing to match / beat the price housing developers bid, then what is the risk?

Whatever the EFA pays the NHS for the land is neutral to the tax payer as its just a transfer of funds between government agencies.

[James Barber]

My fear is the EFA is confident they can fund the amouint of land they think is the absolute minimum ofr both a secondary and primary school. Less than any of us want for any of the schools.

That if we then protest they explain they can't afford the ?64M+ that the land would cost if priced at the same land pricing the former ED police statino was sold for in December 2013. By the time it is sold we'll have had around 16months land inflation.

So for me the critical aspect is how valuable is the land. And it will matter how much one department charges another.

[LondonMix]

Thanks James, that is a lot clearer. Have the EFA said they won?t acquire the land at residential prices?

From a planning perspective, does the Dulwich Hospital planning brief from 2005 carry more weight than the 2014 updated Southwark Plan that the council has just amended?

Would residential developers still have a realistic hope of getting residential planning permission for the site in light of the new guidance issued by the council? Hopefully, the most recent planning statements will hold most weight and discourage residential developers.

[stress_head]

Otta Wrote:

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

> 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.

What otta said.

[mariababe]

If you get a chance to check out the Dulwich and South London Press latest edition the petition is on the front page!

I cant post a link as I cant find it online

maybe someone more techie can help!

[samstopit]

Hopefully you can see the attached. Great that it's front page news!

[mariababe]

Thanks! Its sideways but better than nothing!

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

Brilliant that it made the newspaper !

[samstopit]

Tessa Jowell has tweeted a link to an update on the Harris web site which confirms that Harris Nunhead has been put back to 2016 subject to a site being found and consultation with local families.

http://www.harrisfederation.org.uk/26/future-projects/20/harris-primary-academy-nunhead

[LondonMix]

That's amazing!

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

Fabulous news !

[intexasatthe moment]

messageRe: Petition re Dulwich Hospital site new

Posted by samstopit Today, 12:17PM

Tessa Jowell has tweeted a link to an update on the Harris web site which confirms that Harris Nunhead has been put back to 2016 subject to a site being found and consultation with local families.

http://www.harrisfederation.org.uk/26/future-projects/20/harris-primary-academy-nunhead

( to save people having to scroll back )

[James Barber]

The delay to 2016 of opening the Harris Nunhead Primary school (yes the name is daft) means it is much more likely to be on the Dulwich Hospital site. The only reason for delay is not finding an alternative site. The timings for new schools on the Dulwich Hospital site is 2016.

It does make is clearer that any secondary school on the site 2016 will work.

For those that don't want this primary school on this site the delay is bad news - and I would much prefer a site for the primary school near one of the two primary admissions black holes.

[LondonMix]

Thanks for the update James.

Well hopefully, the equiries being made regarding the orginal application process and the issues with locating it on the hospital site will ultimately mean that the community is heard.

[Fuschia]

http://news.tes.co.uk/b/news/2014/11/07/scrutiny-of-free-school-plans-too-weak-admits-dfe-commissioner.aspx

Interesting re free schools approved where not required

[TJMP]

Following my letter to David Laws (http://www.tessajowell.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/CHAP0101901140379010100413.pdf), I met last week with a number of officials from the Education Funding Agency (EFA) to discuss the future of the Dulwich Community Hospital site. Representatives from both of the secondary school proposals attended. The meeting was not to discuss the respective merits of each of their campaigns, but to reiterate the jointly recognised need for a new secondary school and health centre on the Dulwich Community Hospital site and the undesirability of a Harris Nunhead Primary School being located there.

Parents in East Dulwich are absolutely clear on their priorities for the site: a first class new secondary school, based on the clear evidence of need for secondary school places, alongside a new health centre. Not only is the prospect of two schools on the site highly undesirable for local parents, but prospective Harris Nunhead Primary children could face a situation where they wouldn?t be able to attend the secondary school next door because they are highly unlikely to fall into its catchment area.

The officials maintain that there is room for two ?constrained site? schools on the site. Whilst recognising the local climate and favouring a site in Nunhead for the Harris Primary, their inability to secure an alternative means that the hospital site is still an option in their considerations. They did provide an assurance that parents in East Dulwich would be consulted if this plan progresses.

However, I will be writing to the Harris Federation making clear the scale of the opposition they face and asking Southwark to redouble their efforts, together with the EFA and Harris, to find an alternative and more suitable site for the Harris Nunhead Primary in a location where there is clear evidence of need. Both of the secondary campaigns in East Dulwich will also, of course, continue to make the case and will have my full support.

Tessa Jowell MP

[samstopit]

Here is the letter that Tessa Jowell MP wrote to David Laws in october:

http://www.tessajowell.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/CHAP0101901140379010100413.pdf

Hope that link works.

The idea of two 'constrained schools' on the site makes my blood boil. We need to keep the pressure up on this!

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

Ditto that Samstopit, fed up of the fact we get pushed aside within our community . If we don't want two constrained schools then they should listen to us as we aren't Nunhead and we are within our rights to refuse , it's us that will have to contain with the influx of children and parents travelling in from out of Dulwich as well .

[Otta]

DulwichBorn&Bred Wrote:

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

> If we don't

> want two constrained schools then they should

> listen to us as we aren't Nunhead and we are

> within our rights to refuse

You're within your rights to voice your displeasure, but if they don't find a suitable site in Nunhead, they'll go ahead with both schools whatever local people say.

Hope I'm wrong, but doubt it.

[James Barber]

Constrained is an interesting term.

IF the approved primary school and as yet to be approved secondary school need a site and the EFA end up prposing they both go on tHE Dulwich Hospital site how small would they be?

Haberdashers have said ideally they'd need 19,500m2. The total site is 28,300m2. The health people have said they need 7,000-9,000m2 but that include car parknig for 100 cars.

A primary school woudl be around 2,000-4,000m2.

IF the secondary school had good travel planning and was ground and 3 storeys rather than ground and 2 storeys then it would need up to 17,500m2 (talking to local school architect). No reduction of open space and a number of local schools have such height school buildings and it would be no taller than the current hospital buildings.

So we end up with a constrained school with the same outdoor space.

The bigger problem in the new Southwark Plan proposes no new school until after the new health facility opens. So the new secondary school would open 2018. Two years later than all the signed-up supporters need it to open.

[samstopit]

So James, you think it's acceptable to shave 2,000 square metres of space for a much needed secondary school to allow space for a primary school that nobody wants?

This is the secondary school that you attended steering group meetings on, where you were adamant that a secondary school and a health centre and nothing else should occupy the site. Remember?

How you have changed your tune since Harris came into the picture.

[LondonMix]

My freedom of information request was denied by the EFA. All fer rotten behaviour.

[first mate]

James, it does look pretty shoddy. Voters have made it very clear that we want a secondary school and do not want the Harris primary. Instead of hiding behind process as though there is absolutely nothing that can be done to change matters, why not support what your voters want and resist the primary? It really does seem like Harris have some hold over you.

[keane]

It's been said time & time again, a Harris primary is going into the old East Dulwich police station, there are other Harris schools nearby too. Local residents overwhelmingly want a secondary school on the hospital site NOT a Harris Nunhead primary school - it makes NO sense. I too, have had enough of James Barbers double speak on this subject. Listen to what local people are saying. Secondary school yes, Harris primary on the same site NO.

[bonaome]

@James Barber - Can we count on you to fight any plans to build a primary school on the hospital site?