Free school appeals against rejected bid (From thisisoxfordshire)
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Free school appeals against rejected bid
11:00am Thursday 21st March 2013 in News
Lois Jones and King Ehibhatiomhan pose in the new uniforms for the proposed Tyndale Community School
THE group behind Oxford’s first free school has vowed that children will be able to attend classes from September – but not necessarily at the school’s building in Cowley.
It was hoped the Tyndale Community School would open this autumn on the site of the former Lord Nuffield Club, but planning permission was turned down by Oxford City Council earlier this month.
The school had already been given approval by the Department for Education.
Chapel Street Community Schools Trust and Oxfordshire Community Churches, which are behind the school, yesterday announced they will be appealing the decision which now means a government-appointed planning inspector will have the final say.
The announcement came on the same day the school launched its new uniform.
Steve Jones, the prospective chairman of governors for the school, said: “The advice we have had from our planning consultants is that we should expect to win an appeal.
“We have a commitment from the Department for Education that we open this autumn but we will need to open in temporary accommodation because it will not be possible to complete the building work on time.
“The Department for Education is bearing the cost of that temporary accommodation but the Educational Funding Agency will be seeking costs from the city council.
“We are looking at several options for the temporary accommodation of which one is obviously on the Lord Nuffield Club site.”
Melinda Tilley, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for education, supported the school’s bid to overturn the refusal. She said: “I was surprised that the city council refused the planning application. I support their appeal. We are going to need all the primary school places we can get.”
Free schools were introduced by the Coalition Government, a move opposed by Labour, which leads the city council.
When this was put to Mr Jones he said: “I cannot understand the planning committee’s decision on the basis of the evidence which was presented to them.”
The committee turned down the proposals on the basis that the grounds were too small and the school would generate too much traffic. Mr Jones refutes both reasons.
Comments(3)
Geoff Roberts
says...
8:28pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Aren't I terrible for trying to deny these children a school.
I see Windmill School is going to expand. It's in the walking catchment for the Lord Nuffield Club too.
wobbler
says...
7:01pm Sat 23 Mar 13
Oxfordshire County Council has standards for school outside playing space and this site does not meet them this cannot be refuted! 420 pupils and school staff will generate traffic, as there is only 1 road to the school and this exits onto a 4 way junction with traffic lights meaning the flow of traffic will not be constant leading to lengthy waits before dispersal. From this junction you turn right into a road which is blocked one way if a vehicle parks on the road and turning left leads onto what was described as one of the top ten most congested roads in the country outside of London! It's time for these people to get real. The Lord Nuffield Club is not suitable for the school as planned and if the employed planning consultants say it is then Chapel Street Community Trust need to wake up smell the coffee and employ people who live and operate in the real world.
grumpy51 says...
2:56pm Thu 21 Mar 13