Forum Topic

Brent Lea Rec saved!

Steve Curran called me on Friday with this news and asked me to wait until this was released today. All our hard work has paid off. Thank you to everyone who sent objections and put their name on the Statement of Objection.Come to the rec on Weds evening where we will be celebrating. Bring a bottle and a picnic from 7.00pm.The council has received a clear message from Brentford people that their decisions will be challenged. PR 310910 August 2015For Immediate ReleaseAppropriation of Brent Lea for Floreat no longer going aheadHounslow Council is no longer considering whether or not to appropriate Brent Lea for a temporary site for Floreat Free SchoolAn alternative site for Floreat has been agreed, meaning the decision on the appropriation – which was due to be made by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council – will no longer need to be made.  While the consultation process for the appropriation was ongoing, the EFA in conjunction with Floreat continued to look for alternative sites for the school. On 30 July it was confirmed that an alternative site had been identified at Trico House, in the Great West Quarter development, and that heads of terms for the lease had been agreed between the EFA and Trico Developments.  Councillor Steve Curran, Leader of Hounslow Council, said:“The appropriation for the temporary school will no longer be going ahead but I am grateful to the public for spending time submitting their responses to the consultation.“Hounslow Council will continue to cooperate with the EFA to identify a suitable permanent site and await the sequential testing results which will inform the next steps – which we will be sure to keep residents informed of.“We need a permanent school in the Brentford area, as providing good quality school places is a top priority for us, but we also need to take into account the importance of preserving our green space.”

Joanna Russell ● 3830d24 Comments

I have been told (which doesn't mean it's right) that planning permission will only need to be sought for the second year, presumably because it's a vacant unit.

BrentfordTW8 Editor ● 3828d

"Slag off Curran and co. all you wish, but they didn't write the bloody legislation, nor are they representatives of the party that gives every indication that they consider democratic planning to be undesirable socialist nonsense to weaken and abolish in favour of a free for all."That may well have a lot of truth in it - however, instead of trying to ameliorate the effects of the free school lunacy they hardly helped themselves by just riding roughshod over local people and fixing things before the public got to hear about the plans. It's known as making the best of a bad job - not rolling over without a whimper. The issue of the Acton Lodge site will not go away, I don't think there are many people locally who believe that it couldn't be suitable, but it seems the councillors wanted their cake and eat it too, by snaffling a public open space and then putting that site up for sale. If local government across the country are having these same problems with providing extra school places then they should be using their national organisations to represent their views to central government, not just doing their bidding to the detriment of local communities.

Vanessa Smith ● 3829d

I pondered this too, but is there also a possibility that the Trico site actually comprises an existing vacant unit benefiting from planning permission for D1 usage ?.

Adam Beamish ● 3829d

This is the bottom line.  Most of us I suspect oppose the legislation, but it should not be used as a justification for riding roughshod over local people and engaging in general dodgy practice.

Phil Andrews ● 3829d

As has been pointed out many times Curran and Co have a site but they wish to sell for flats etc.

Neil Chippendale ● 3829d

It'll be interesting to see which of these two scenarios plays out:1) The Trico site falls under planning laws, and they have to apply to the council for permission to build there - would they dare go round the whole bad PR farago again?2) The Trico site falls under one of the special planning exemptions for new free schools, and the council is powerless to stop it.Not the least of the daft consequences of free school ideology is antagonising the local community with your attitude before you even recruit a single pupil, as Joanna rightly points out.

Thomas Barry ● 3829d

Given that no one appears to want this school, how come they successfully demonstrated to the government that there was local demand for it?  Surely there isn't some sort of back-room connection between the promoters and Number 10? That would be ridiculous.*checks*Ah, there is.Not particularly wishing to paper over the council's mistakes here, but they are in the nearly impossible position of having a statutory duty to build enough places for an even greater future school population than envisaged four years ago at the same time as much of the money's been diverted into loony free schools they are then effectively blackmailed into helping find sites.  What would people prefer happens:1) The council tries its best to assist free schools find sites, and uses that to bridge the gap between the few remaining possibilities for expansion and the figures2) The councils says 'no new schools here unless the public agrees' followed by running out of school places, which would be rather a poor record to defend at the next election against an opposition which has no problem with option 13) We throw the bloody Tories out at the general election and elect a left wing government which would reassert local control of school planning rather than handing it to a cosy coterie of right wingers who apparently have limitless access to the public purse.  Only joking.Slag off Curran and co. all you wish, but they didn't write the bloody legislation, nor are they representatives of the party that gives every indication that they consider democratic planning to be undesirable socialist nonsense to weaken and abolish in favour of a free for all.

Thomas Barry ● 3829d

Floreat still have this on their website.http://www.floreat.org.uk/brentford/site/

Joanna Russell ● 3829d

They still have Brent Lea on their website.http://www.floreat.org.uk/brentford/site/Isn't that a little deceitful? Not good for a school who wants to instill Honesty in its pupils.

Joanna Russell ● 3829d

Seems nothing has been learned - just who do these people think they are?

Vanessa Smith ● 3829d

They should contact Floreat School for not holding a consultation. They think they can do anything they like.James O'Shaughnessy  james@floreat.org.uk

Joanna Russell ● 3829d

Trico House residents are not happy at all! there is a petition signed by 71 residents. LBH are again making the same mistake thinking they can simply ignore residents. Trico House is located in a PRIVATE development (GWQ) and the Freeholder (Barratt) has the RIGHT to oppose the school if the residents are not happy on a reasonable ground: i.e. noise, nuisance and traffic congestion.Barratt will never accept the school at Trico House so there is no way this school will go ahead in Trico House.

Emanuele Sozzi ● 3829d

From some of the comments It seems the residents who already live at Trico House are none too pleased at the prospect either.

Vanessa Smith ● 3829d

Ok thanks, I hadn't realised that.

Phil Andrews ● 3829d

Floreat and the EFA found Trico house. The parents of the school were told before the council knew about it.

Joanna Russell ● 3829d

For those who follow the way these things work, you will note that the alternative site found is in Brentford ward.  The Brentford councillors, of course, opposed the siting of the school at Brent Lea rec.  There could be an element of punishment involved here for the rebellious Brentford councillors.

Phil Andrews ● 3829d

There is not even a temporary one! nothing has been agreed, it's just pure speculation from LBH and EFA

Emanuele Sozzi ● 3830d

Curran and Co are safe in their seats for nearly three years yet and if the Syon voters did not sway from voting Labour even after the Jason Ellar scandal then they must be feeling extremely safe at the moment

Paul Fisher ● 3830d

So LBH is still looking for a permanent site......Acton Lodge?

Neil Chippendale ● 3830d

So LBH is still looking for a permanent site......Acton Lodge?

Neil Chippendale ● 3830d

Absolutely wonderful news, congratulations to all of you who worked so hard, let's hope that councillors learn from this and don't treat local people like morons in future.

Vanessa Smith ● 3830d

More to do with Messrs. Curran & Co realising that will lose their seats on the council.The problem will simply be shifted to a less politically sensitive ward where there are less power obsessed councillors.

Raymond Havelock ● 3830d

Again well done to you Joanna and all involved for your hard work

Paul Fisher ● 3830d

Hi JoannaI hope you are well.I have sent you a private email via this forum but am not sure you have received it.Could you please confirm? it would be great to speak to you on the phone.ThanksEmanuele

Emanuele Sozzi ● 3830d