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By RICHARD OSLEY
 
Parents target dentists for school

PARENTS want to turn a dental hospital into a new school in a bid to satisfy the huge demand for secondary school places for children in the south of the borough.
Families, who last month stormed a Town Hall meeting with demands for a new school to be built south of the Euston Road, have targeted the Eastman Dental Hospital in Gray’s Inn Road, King’s Cross.
The site has moved to the top of their wish list with protesters hoping that converting the hospital would be cheaper than building a new school from scratch.
Other sites that have been researched include the Mount Pleasant Post Office site on the border with Islington and Kingsway College in Sidmouth Street, King’s Cross.
The Eastman site, however, is emerging as a preferred choice following a tip-off that it could be made available by its owners, the University College London Hospital (UCLH). The building is currently used for specialist dentistry, research and postgraduate teaching but a well-placed source told the New Journal that the hospital has considered moving the facility to a site closer to its main complex in Bloomsbury.
Last night (Wednesday), the hospital failed to respond to requests for information. Campaign organisers have already made it clear that the site is amongst the chief targets in an update circulated to supportive parents.
A statement – posted on the www.whereismyschool.org.uk lobby site – said: “We have heard that UCLH is planning to vacate The Eastman Dental Hospital, which would be an excellent site for a school. It’s big enough, already in public use, close to Coram’s Fields sports facilities and in the London Borough of Camden.”
It added: “Emma Jones (one of the campaign’s main organisers) and Sue Vincent (Labour councillor) have met with David Monger (Camden’s education department) who confirms that they have commissioned a site search and are looking at the feasibility of the Eastman site.” The campaign statement – signed off by Ms Jones – said: “To buy a site and build a school could cost up to £50 million, although converting the Eastman would be much cheaper.”
Protesters have been warned by the council that a rival lobby group is demanding a new school in Kilburn, where there have been similar reports of a shortage of places at Camden’s secondaries.
But Cllr Vincent, who represents Holborn and Covent Garden, has told parents that the lobby in the south of the borough has nudged ahead.
In a letter to campaigners, she said: “Well done for putting the South of Euston Road School campaign firmly on the map. There are now two other competing campaigns, Kilburn and Hampstead, but we have a good head start following the deputation to full council.”
The Town Hall last night (Wednesday) confirmed they are researching possible sites but would not confirm whether the Eastman site could be turned into a new school.
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