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| PARKWOOD HALL SCHOOL |
The Dame poses the question in all innocence and would dearly know the truth behind the school's desire to go it alone.
Anyway, reading this REPORT it would seem the council has lost the battle and the school can now plan its own future.
One reason for the council's objection to the planned status change was that a valuable property asset, which could have been disposed of for millions(yes, it sits on lots of prime development acres), is now out of its reach.....or is the old Dame being a bit of a cynic?
After Thamesbrook anything is possible....
Parkwood is a truly wonderful, wonderful facility. Our council could send children there on a residential basis during the week and they would go home at weekends. This would mean the children would be protected from the awful travel contractors HATS and Star Buses and could play and learn in a calm and beautiful l environment. But the Council refuses to send its children there or even to tell parents it is on offer to them – because it wants to close Parkwood down and sell it off to the highest bidder. The Council even tried to persuade Sevenoaks Council to remove the Green Belt designation from the site, so that they could sell it off for housing development. Why does this Council hate children with special education needs so much? They just waited until Baroness Ritchie – who fiercely protected all these assets – died and then set about destroying her legacy. Her friend and protector Cllr Cockell should hold his head in shame for failing to protect it.
ReplyDeleteThe name of the game is property development. It is the way that certain Councillors and Officers fund their holiday homes in Croatia and BMW motor cars.
ReplyDeleteWhy does this council own such a massive property along way from its borders?
ReplyDeleteOf course the Council objected! The school has been maintained by K&C since the GLC was abolished in 1990 (the background to the decision to give control of a Kent establishment to a central London Borough is itself a grimy episode) and "schools" is the only substantial train set left for Hornton Street Councillors and Officers to play with. There is a hefty establishment of Officers, Committees and jollies devoted to "schools" in the Royal Borough (all paid for by council tax payers) and the gravy train needs to preserve its fiefdom. Hence the bid to hold on to control of Parkwood Hall.
ReplyDeleteHornton Street is still reeling from the loss of Holland Park School which successfully applied for (independent) Academy Status. Canny Headmaster Hall could not wait to get shot of the dabblers in Hornton Street.
It is interesting that following the loss of flagship Holland Park School (and a big reduction in the workload of the Education Department in Hornton Street) not a single Officer has been relocated to other duties and the organisation reduced.
Another example of out of control Officers and education Councillors puffing with their own importance.
Just imagine the huge amount of Committee time and preparation and drafting of papers by highly paid officers to produce this wholly absurd and unjustified objection to foundation status for Parkwood Hall.
DeleteThis style of bureaucratic scribbling has become the hall mark of out of control Hornton Street. Planning is the major center of nonsense. The volume of planning studies and strategies emerging from the highly paid Officers (all unintelligible to anyone except themselves) is staggering
RBKC want the place to become an Academy. Then no doubt the sale of land can commence. But guess what - it ain't gonna happen! About time they got a bloody nose!
ReplyDeleteSome years ago I read a report that RBKC was the worst place in either London or the entire country in which to die. The cause was the lack of quality end of life services provided by the council. Notable residents return to their ancient country seats, to the care of their families, loyal retainers and visiting doctors. The great and good expire in state, supported by private chaplains and grieving dependents. Meanwhile lesser mortals are left to their own devices. After all, there's no profit in it.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to see that the Rotten Borough continues to live down to it's reputation. This is an obvious reason for a government quango to send Horton Street 5 more stars.