Merton Council’s Labour cabinet took the controversial decision on 19 September to permanently double the number of children attending Dundonald Primary. The Council plans for the school to take 420 children by September 2013.

There has been a lengthy consultation on the proposal to extend the school to two forms of entry as part of the Council’s attempts to deal with lack of primary school places in the borough. The consultation descended into farce: allegations that the councillor in charge of education broke council rules while campaigning for the expansion are being investigated by the Council; officials amended the plans during the process, making it harder for residents to know what they’re commenting on; and a company that doesn’t deliver to houses with “No junk mail” signs  was used to distribute the consultation documents (gives an insight into what the Council thinks of its own consultation).

Analysis of the public consultation can be seen on our website here.

Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Peter Walker who wrote to thousands of residents in support of the plans, didn’t take part in the final decision on expansion, making the following statement:

In order, however, to avoid accusations that I have pre-determined my view on this specific proposal before the cabinet tonight I have decided not to make any recommendation.

Prior to the Cabinet Meeting, a cross party group of councillors examined the proposals at a special meeting of the Children & Young Persons Overview and Scrutiny Panel on 15 September. The Save Dundonald Rec campaign explained that their legal advice was that the plans would fail because of a legal covenant to protect the Rec, drawn up in 1893 by brothers John and James Innes.  Although council legal officers dismissed the suggestions, questions were raised by councillors as to whether the school really could be expanded in time for September 2013.

News coverage of that meeting is here and the official record and minutes are here.

The Council’s next step is a a “pre-planning application consultation on a single layout option design prior to submitting a formal planning application” – but Save Dundonald Rec is planning on legal action.