ED Harris boys - use of the Rye

[Otta]

What henry b said.

Lots of unpleasant NIMBYism going on here.

[intexasatthe moment]

Guess we all have differing views . Personally I think the park like nature would be compromised if the playing field bit were to be more extensively used throughout the week .

I agree with firstmate's comments and don't see any NIMBYism going on .

" Local children are free to use the park as individuals, the objection is annexing part of the park as a regular school playing field. We also have to consider if Harris start to book pitches as regular users this then forces another school to stop using them. Perhaps other schools have a prior claim?

Again, this was all looked at and agreed before Harris opened, with full knowledge of Harris and parents."

[James Barber]

Harris Girls have been booking and using Peckham Rye pitches for years.

I've not noticed any sliding - has anyone else?

So we have Harris boys going by coach to Dulwich Village and other schools being coached to Peckham Rye park. Logic would suggest the other school/s be coached to Dulwich Village and Harris boys walk across the road but I doubt this will happen any time soon.

The only open space being consumed is by a proposed new council leisure centre to replace Seven islands Centre in the NE of Southwark.

[first mate]

Okay James, so if it was changed would other schools that currently make use of the Rye have to travel further to other locations? if so does that seem fair?

Yes the girls school uses the Rye but not that much, or so it seems. What do you have in mind for Harris Boys usage? For instance, how may hours per week and at what times and in what areas? How many areas would be used and how many numbers of boys at a time? Would the Rye be used just for set supervised games of for a variety of leisure activities?

It is fine to make protests on principle but until we have detail and a sense of the logistics and what would be the aim, it is really hard to get a sense of what would be involved.

Out of interest, once Harris ED is up and running, will they too want to make use of the Rye or even Goose Green- again, not much space on that site for play or recreation? I guess they will also be bussed to Dulwich Village? You bave been very involved with this application so feel sure you will know what is planned?

[LondonMix]

I?m not a huge fan of Harris but equally I don?t object out of principle to primary school age children getting to play in a local park or secondary school children booking the pitches. At the end of the day, these are our kids, regardless of who runs their schools?

The pitches don?t seem over used to me but of course the Friends of Peckham Rye Park are better placed to assess of the park can accommodate additional usage. I?m not sure there is anything else to say until they make a statement. It doesn?t even sound like Harris is actively pursuing this anyhow.

[first mate]

LM,

Agreed. I think FPRP just want to ensure that the part of the park does not become an extension of the school. There is no danger of this happening with other schools as they are not close enough. If you saw the original design presentation fir the school it was mocked up in such a way that the Rye opposite the school looked like it was part if the school.

Offers by the school to fund pitch management in return for use may look a good idea at first but over time it could prove tricky, since the school could begin to make claims around ownership of sections of the park.

It seems quite clear that Harris entered into an agreement with S'wark planning in 2008 to build the school with the clear and unambiguous proviso that they would not use the Rye for school activities. Harris signed up to this in full knowledge and any parents signing up to the school would have been clear, as would Councillors.

Detractors made repeated questions about lack of space at the school and were told by Harris and supporters that this was not an issue and everything had been covered and they were confident that all the recreational needs of the boys would be met in full.

It seems that having agreed terms Harris decided on a very sneaky long game to overturn this agreement and getting Councillors and parents to protest in vague terms is very effective. I would just ask what that protest actually means in reality? Is it about having the same rights of access as other schools in principle? Or does Harris actually want to transfer all its sports activities from fields in Dulwich Village to the Rye? If the latter then I would think there is a strong chance other schools will be booted off by the newcomer, which happens to be in prime position.

On the surface the situation does look unfair but I suspect a little detail might be quite revealing. It would be useful to know the detail, exactly what it is Harris and its supporters want in this case?

[LondonMix]

Didn?t James already state earlier in the thread that there is NO provision in the planning permission that prevents the school from using the Rye playing fields? Hasn?t he also said that Harris isn?t looking to change the current arrangement?

Do you have information to prove the statements that James has made are untrue? I?m genuinely asking as you seem quite definitive in your statements.

[savage]

I am the originator of this post, not Harris. I have simply asked the question & have also put it to Harris ED. I can assure you that they have no desire to use the Rye, as they are more than happy with the sports facilities they already make use of. When I received that response from them, I really couldn't understand it. Why would they be happy to spend part of their lessons transporting the kids to & from a sports facility, when they have perfectly good sports fields opposite? I'm now learning why!

I cannot believe some people's views on here towards a school using the playing fields opposite. I'm guessing that they do not want to rock the apple cart. I think this is a huge shame.

[first mate]

LM,

Yes,there was an agreement in 2008 where it was stated that Harris would not use Rye and bussing arrangements were outlined. However, James is right, in so far as I can see there was not a stipulation within the planning document, it was not thought necessary since it states that were the school to want to hire it would go through the same process as other schools that use the Rye- so in theory Harris could change its mind.

see http://moderngov.southwarksites.com/Data/Planning%20Committee/20080702/Agenda/Item%206%20AddendumReport.pdf

Savage,

Yes it would seem it is about upsetting the apple cart, since it is clear that Harris could apply to use the Rye if they wanted. As I have said before, the fear is that over time sections of the park simply become subsumed by school activities, because the school is just over the road.

[edhistory]

Interesting assertion:

"Paragraphs 9 & 97:

"The Planning Report inaccurately describes the boundary of Peckham Rye Common being

on the opposite side of Peckham Rye to the school. In fact, the Common includes the

splayed grassed verge area on the western side of Peckham Rye between the existing

school boundary wall/fence and Peckham Rye.

"It is noted that this splay of Common land is not subject to any particular notations or

allocations in the Southwark Plan. It is not Metropolitan Open Land. The proposed building

does not encroach on the Common land or impede access to it. Pedestrian and vehicle

access across the Common land is proposed and this principle is already established with

the existing school already having both vehicular and pedestrian access over the Common

land."

[first mate]

Edhistory,

How so? Please do explain?

[edhistory]

This is too complicated for here.

Drop by for a chat and I'll explain.

The FoPRP should prepare an evidence-based definitive document.

John K