-Press Release:
For immediate use: Friday 8th February 2008
GREEN PARTY CRITICISES COMMITTEE FOR RUSHING THROUGH CITY ACADEMY
Speaking after the Cabinet sub-committee made their landmark decision, Green Party spokesperson Shasha Khan said:
“I am genuinely shocked that the members of the Committee took a mere 14 minutes to come to a decision to close Coulsdon High School on 31st August 2008 and transfer its assets to private sponsor Oasis Trust on a 125 year lease. It is clear to me that the councillors had no intention to reevaluate their plans to rush through the opening of the City Academy and any concerns raised have been brushed aside.
“Throughout the meeting the Tory councillors just nodded in agreement to extremely one-sided presentation given by Cllr Gatland.
“The Coulsdon East councillor, Chris Wright said that local residents were telling him that this is what they wanted. Yet, there is a very little documentary evidence for this. A paltry 130 questionnaires were completed during the public consultation at a cost of £100,000. That’s £770 per questionnaire.
“The irony is that when Oasis Coulsdon Academy opens, Councillor Wright will have no influence on the how the school is run as it will be out of the local education authority’s hands. So if any local resident raises concerns about the procedures at the school there is very little he can do.”
Ends
Notes:
(1) The committee met on Wednesday 6th February.
(2)The questionnaire can still be found online on the Croydon Council web site.
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Tags croydon, greenparty
2 comments:
125 years???? That's extreme even by PFI/PPP standards!
Tell me about it!!!
There are dangerous implications when both Labour and Conservative have identical policies, especially when all 70 councillors in Croydon are either Tory or Labour. QUITE SIMPLY, THEY CAN PUSH THINGS THROUGH WITHOUT PROPER SCRUTINY.
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