Mouldon Hill Country Park Saved From Development

Tonight SBC’s Cabinet made the decision to place two primary schools on Tadpole Farm. One will be built with access from the Oakhurst Way/Tadpole Lane roundabout and open in September 2014; the second site will be built later.

As we are aware, local councillors preferred the Country Park as the site for the new school. Residents in Oakhurst wanted to keep the Country Park and were quite clear, during the consultation, that no building of such kind should take place there.

Residents in Oakhurst also wanted a local site for a local school and asked for the planned Tadpole Farm school to be brought forward. Residents tell us that they are pleased that common sense has won the day and that the school will be built on Tadpole Farm.

ORA would like to thank everyone who worked with us to save the Country Park from development. Local people are pleased that a school will be built that does not involve a long hike over difficult terrain.

The new school at Tadpole Farm will benefit the people of Oakhurst and will be less distance to travel for all of the Oakhurst children when compared to the Mouldon Hill Country Park site.

Is This Another Injustice For Oakhurst People?

People in Oakhurst will be surprised to learn that their wishes and aspirations are recognised by the councillors but it seems they are not being listened to.  This patronising approach by councillors has to stop.  The people of Oakhurst have clearly shown they want a school at Tadpole Farm.  The council has carried out an assessment which also shows that:

3.19 In conclusion, the site assessment scoring brings the Tadpole Farm site out as the best option.

Class Solutions or Mammoth Erections?

The Mouldon Hill site (either entrance) comes with the Class Solutions design.

It is fairly obvious that the Croft was set up and the public stitched up to use this as the prototype and brochure for this half baked venture cobbled together in secret.

The Croft school, wonderful though the education may be and I hope is inside, is an eyesore. It looks as though all of the money has been spent on shoring up the ground and assembing MFI like sheds and roofs. All the other stuff necessary for a school.. like playgrounds and fences and entrances etc., look as though they came from the back garage at SCS.  All a bit Blue Peter'ish.

A recent article in the Adver about the Croft featured a head of the White Horse Federation waxing lyrical about the design and their involvement in it and, if I recall, stated that Class Solutions would be the design for all new schools in Swindon.

Now how on earth could a member of the WHF state or even know this? Do elected members know this? Where has this been minuted? And has anyone told St Joseph's?

School Place Consultation: Further Injustice to Oakhurst Residents?

March 20^th is the crunch day when Cllr Renard, who is currently rumoured to be bidding for leadership of the council, will have to give his preferred school site choice for North Swindon.

What we do know is that March 20^th is the date for the cabinet meeting.  However, the agenda and reports are circulated at least a week before.  That would be round about the 12^th March.  The closing date for the consultation is 8^th March so he has three working days to put a report together for cabinet.  Knowing how these things work, that seems a remarkably short time to produce a comprehensive report.

What we also know is that 90 reception school places have not been delivered in a timely fashion and now we have a sudden rush.  Why is this? These places have been needed for years and, at least five years ago, the numbers would have been known. 

Cllr Renard, as lead member, is responsible for school place planning and is trying to shunt this away from himself.

Blame shunting is not new to politicians on this council.  What the parents of North Swindon children have learnt today is that various facebook forums exist.  No mention has been made of these or how to access them during the consultation process but Cllr Renard places great weight on them in the Adver today.  Why have officers at Swindon Borough Council not told anyone about these facebook forums? What is Cllr Renard up to?

He obviously supports a Mouldon Hill Country Park option over the alternatives.   Why isn’t he honest about this? Or has he been on a facebook forum that nobody can find?  Even in the report there is no mention of how to access these forums.

The Gang of Four Strike Again - Mouldon Hill Consultation

 

It was with some bemusement that residents have read the recent leaflet from the local ward councillors and MP about their need for a school at Mouldon Hill.   Residents are puzzled because they are under the impression that they are taking part in a consultation with Swindon Borough Council’s education department.

We now have a situation where four politicians have waded in.  Are they trying to skew the outcome?  Was the Oakhurst consultation an afterthought after residents had raised concerns that Mouldon Hill was the only option being given to them?

Chair of ORA writes to Education Department

29^th January 2013

Dear Education Department,

Re: North Swindon School Place Consultation

I believe that I witnessed an injustice being perpetrated against Oakhurst families and their children when I attended the Mouldon Hill consultation session at the Tawny Owl on 23 January 2013 and felt I had to write to you to express my concerns about both the proposals and the consultation process. 

First and foremost I have to agree that there is a serious shortfall in the number of primary school reception places in Oakhurst and Redhouse.  We have numerous residents that have reported having their reception age children placed, against their preference/s, as far away as Rodbourne Cheney, Pinehurst and West Swindon for the September 2012 academic year.  In fact, ORA have been told by Oakhurst residents that they are thinking of moving or have been forced to move to secure a local school place for their child. 

Injustice at Mouldon Hill School Place Consultation?

This article represents the views of Oakhurst residents who want an Oakhurst school for Oakhurst children

Residents report witnessing an injustice being perpetrated against Oakhurst families and their children at the Mouldon Hill school consultation session at the Tawny Owl on 23 January 2013. 

Mouldon Hill School? The Facts According to the Residents of Oakhurst

Some parents in Oakhurst have moved to get a neighbourhood school place or are faced with moving.  The alternative is to send their child to a school that they did not choose and travelling miles to drop their child off.  The current Secretary of State for Education may talk at length about parental choice but for many Oakhurst families there has never been  a choice.  If  they opt for their Oakhurst school then they may end up in Rodbourne Cheney, Pinehurst or a school outside of the Northern Sector altogether. They may also face appeals with no outcome except disappointment.  That is a reality for parents and young children in Oakhurst.

Mouldon Hill - Does It All Make Sense?

Here is an article from a guest about the Mouldon Hill school.  It is worth reading as it gives an overview of considerations that don't appear to be headline topics for discussion.  Anyway here's the blog for you to read.

The people of Swindon are faced with huge public debt.  Cuts are being proposed to services and yet more Council Staff are in fear of redundancy.  Cllr Bluh states that money has to be borrowed for education.

It is a matter of record that SBC received £6,374,000 for educational needs in North Swindon and allocated this in total to the Croft in South Swindon, which now has the luxury of additional primary places, not that Children’s Services would tell you that.  They have just been caught out reporting that all Old Town and Town Centre primary schools are ‘full’.  Children’s services are now off to define what ‘full’ means.  Maybe they should ask North Swindon residents?

On 17^th January 2013, North Swindon Ward Councillor, Lead Member for Children’s services and Deputy Council Leader Renard was asked the following questions by a member of the public:

Cllr Renard, in your recent written response to public questions regarding the usage of Mouldon Hill Country park you stated, “The Local Authority has recently stated that Mouldon Hill Country Park is underused.  However, the part of the park that is the subject of the consultation appears not to be frequented by members of the public as it is inaccessible due to flood defences and the railway line surrounding it”