Despite a desperate shortage of primary school places, Merton Council has failed to even mention schools in a consultation on future developments in the borough.

The Council has asked landowners, developers and other interested groups to suggest sites for potential development. A range of possible uses is listed in the consultation document, but amazingly education is not highlighted.

Given the borough’s need for school places – and controversy over the expansion of Dundonald primary, not to mention the rush to sell off the derelict Wimbledon House school site – local Liberal Democrats are disappointed that more emphasis was not put on education needs in this important strategic consultation.

“The tragedy is that the Council has sold off lots of education land since 1999, ironically for housing. The first priority for any strategic planning document should be education,” said local campaigner Diana Coman.

The local Lib Dems are are also calling for better planning for infrastructure. “Greater consideration must be given to how any new housing will be supported by all local services. We need to bring balance back into local planning.” said Diana.

“We must protect existing school sites – not sell them off. Our good schools must be kept a good size – you can’t just keep increasing existing schools forever. And perhaps most importantly we must plan for the future; we need to be thinking now about future developments – will we need even more primary schools, what about more secondary schools? We don’t just need warm words – we need action.”

ENDS
Merton Lib Dems’ 3 point plan for local schools.

Call for sites consultation 15th July – 9th September 2011

Q&As from Schools Consultation (updated 28.7.11)
Points of interest in the above –

• Birth rates are outlined on pp. 14-16
• List of school sites sold off by Merton since 1999 on p 24.
• P 16 “. . . The Council is continuing to look for further options [for new schools] but these would provide places in the longer term and if demand continues to rise and be sustained beyond 2012 levels”
• P 26 “The Council is aware that additional places will need to be provided in secondary schools from 2015”.
• P 30 ” The council need to plan for several further additional reception classes over the next three years and will plan these carefully to seek to ensure that there is an appropriate balance of permanent expansions and temporary expansion to cater for any reduction in demand.”