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One-off opportunity for education funding must not be missed
• AS a supporter of the campaign for a new secondary school south of Euston Road I am delighted that at long last the council is now starting to support the parents and wider community.
For years families south of Euston Road have been working with the council to try to find a suitable site for a new secondary school. The one-off government funding under the Building Schools for the Future scheme gave this council a unique opportunity for a new school, but it was unfortunate that from day one they were unwilling to co-operate and work with parents and the community.
In spite of this, parents and councillors have done the leg-work in identifying a suitable site. They have met resistance from Camden’s paid civil servants throughout. Camden still refutes the projections for the growth in the number of children in the area in years to come despite the weight of evidence put forward by parents and Frank Dobson. Perhaps they will revisit this evidence and review their conclusions?
Now that our community has won the argument for this much-needed school, I hope that Camden’s ruling Lib Dem councillors do not drag their feet in coming forward with concrete plans for the Wren Street site.
DAVID IRVING
Sandwich Street, WC1
Uphill fight
• AS councillors for King’s Cross we are pleased that Camden’s ruling Lib Dem/Tory administration has said it is willing to reserve its commercial lease on the Wren Street site for a potential secondary school south of Euston Road.
Given the weight of support and evidence put forward by parents and the local community, it has been an uphill battle to get any backing from Camden to move forward on the new school. We have attended many meetings with Camden officers where they have dismissed sites in the area as being unsuitable. They have refused to collate data on the expected rise in the number of children in the community and instead invested their energies in putting forward plans for their UCL academy in Swiss Cottage. The tenacity of parents like Emma Jones and Polly Shields should be applauded as should MP Frank Dobson for taking forward these views with central government.
Our next area forum meeting will be based on the school south of the Euston Road. We hope Camden will now be able to put forward a full timetable for moving forward the plans for the school. Any interested resident is able to attend on Monday March 16 at 7.30 pm at St Pancras Library next to the Town Hall.
CLLR ABDUL HAI
Cllr Geethika Jayatilaka
Cllr Jonathan Simpson
Labour, King’s Cross ward
• NOW there’s a once- in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a school here under Buildings Schools for the Future but the council has resisted this and focused elsewhere.
Please, please don’t blow it Camden – now is the time to start listening to the needs of those who have waited so long for this opportunity.
TULIP SIDDIQ
Judd Street, WC1
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