The Sulivan school scandal should shame Michael Gove and galvanise the Green Party

The outdoor space currently enjoyed by Sulivan children

Tomorrow evening there will be a panel discussion at the Green Party Conference in Brighton chaired by Natalie Bennett, the Green Party leader on Free Schools and Academies. The panel includes Christine Blower, General Secretary of the NUT and education campaigner and author of School Wars, Melissa Benn.

On Saturday I will be moving a motion calling for the revision of Green Party Education Policy in the light of the enormous changes brought about by the Coalition government.

Down in Fulham in South West London a battle is raging which epitomises these issues. Sulivan Primary is a local authority school rated Good with outstanding features by Ofsted. It is a small school with a form entry of 45 children. It is strongly supported by its parents who rate its care for pupils, accessibility for SEN and disabled children, and the amazing learning opportunities provided by its large play areas and outdoor science laboratory.

 Just the kind of child-centred community school that we in the Green Party would like to be the norm.

Save Our Sullivan campaigners at Hammersmith Town Hall

But Sulivan is threatened with closure by the flagship Tory borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, not because of any inadequacies on the part of the school but because the borough wants to find space for a proposed free school, Fulham Boys Free School.

In a further twist it wants to close Sulivan and transfer pupils to New Kings School, a one form entry school which is committed to become a privately sponsored academy.

At present there is spare capacity at Sulivan (overall 89% full but at capacity in younger classes) the closure/merger would actually reduce the overall number of school places at a time when an increase in demand is projected. The merged school would have a 2 form entry (60 children) against the current joint entry of 75.

Closure of Sulivan will enable the borough to divest itself of a local authority school and will satisfy Gove with another academy and free school to add to the empire which is accountable only to him.

Not surprisingly teachers and parents have risen up against this proposal and organised themselves into a effective lobbying force.  At a recent meeting about the closure, attended by parents, teachers, residents and governors there was standing room only with the attendance estimated at between 250 and 300.

An account of the meeting can be found HERE . Among the contributions was one by the mother of a child with impaired mobility who said that the single storey Sulivan was accessible for her child. She feared segregation at the Victorian New Kings, even if a lift were fitted.

A child bravely got up in front of the panel and large audience and, praising her headteacher and teacher several times, said that she loved he school and that she and other children would do everything they could to save it. She got huge applause from the audience but only a 'we'll bear what you say in mind' from the chair.

A teacher pressed the question, 'Please explain – with evidence and examples -  how you know that this amalgamation will provide a better education for the children.' and never got a satisfactory answer. Because of course this is not a decision that will be made on educational grounds but one made to further Gove's agenda of dismantling democratically controlled and accountable schools and opening the system up for privatisation and eventual profit making.

The dismissal of parents' views (unless they are parents who want to set up free school), ignoring of children's interests, and undemocratic procedures and sham consultations are all consistent with what teachers, parents and governors are experiencing with converter academies and forced academies.

The Green Party must stand alongside local campaigners on these issues.

Follow Save Our Sulivan on Twitter @SaveOurSulivan

Brent Council refuse to recognise the community value of the Queensbury Pub

Guest blog from the Save the QueensburyGroup. It really does seem to be The People against The Developers (Kensal Rise Library, Willesden Green Library, Queensbury Pub) with Brent Council unable or unwilling to stand up for local people - and seemingly subservient to the developers.

The Save The Queensbury group is very disappointed that the pub has not been added to Brent Council’s list of Assets of Community Value. Our nomination (via the NW2 Residents Association) was refused following a 15 page letter from the Fairview Homes law firm to Brent Council and we are now considering whether to try for a third time.

We are disappointed that Brent Council did not recognise and agree that the site of the pub has been an important resource in our community since 1925. The regulations on ACVs ask whether a property has community use currently or at any time in the recent past. We were confident that because the building has been a social club between 1925-2012 and a pub since 2000 it would reasonably meet that criteria. After all many pubs already listed elsewhere are actually closed, often by developers who want to build flats. This is precisely why these regulations were introduced.

We are also disappointed that Brent Council did not agree that the Busy Rascals activities for toddlers and the National Childbirth Trust meetings for parents both reflect the pub’s place in the community. Fairview argued that this is not a normal use of a pub, claiming it actually contravened the pub’s lease and sought to discount it for ACV purposes. Brent council seem to agree. Let’s remember that Fairview have strenuously and persistently sought to undermine Busy Rascals and the pub, at every turn.

Aside from current use, there is also a test as to the future use of a building over the next five years. We argued that the pub has a lease until 2017 so it’s a no-brainer? We also stated that there is no permission for anything other than community / social club / pub use. Plus there are no current plans before the council to change this. But, again, Brent listened to Fairview Homes who said that they have no intention of opening the building for community use and every intention of demolishing it. As far as we can tell there is nothing in regulations about a landowner’s intention and desire, otherwise surely no building would be listed if an owner could simply say they wanted to demolish it?

We put a lot into our nominations. We took advice  and we looked at other successful nominations of pubs and other buildings. What we got in return was a convoluted process which heavily favoured Fairview Homes (they had two weeks to respond to our nomination and we were afforded two days). We are a small, voluntary group without the expertise and resource of a multinational law firm. Yet we did address Fairview’s points and were confident that our nomination met the criteria and Brent had a duty to list it.

So what next?

This is a small chapter in a battle to save both The Queensbury pub and the activities of Busy Rascals by preserving a landmark building in a conservation area. But we have little expertise, limited resource, not much local Councillor support and a developer with a lot of money at stake and a huge legal resource to lobby and bully the council.

It really is an uphill struggle, so we’re taking stock and considering our next moves, but we’re certainly not giving up in our fight to save The Queensbury.

48 hours to secure the right to know about local air pollution

From 38degees

The air we breathe has a direct impact on our health. But the government is trying to push through damaging changes which remove the responsibility for local authorities to assess air pollution and declare where it is a problem.

If the government's successful, you won’t be able to find out what the air is like in your local area. Or hold local authorities to account if it’s at unsafe levels. Which currently you’re able to do. And as usual it’s the poorest who will suffer the most - poorer areas have dirtier air and so are likely to feel the health impacts. These changes would leave poorer people, and particularly children, paying the price.

The government’s being sneaky. They’ve launched a consultation during the summer holidays, hoping that the public won’t cotton on and they can slip the changes through. Together we can do something about this: if enough of us respond to the consultation they’ll realise how important this is to people. Together we can stop the changes before they get too far.

The consultation closes in 48 hours on the 13th September. It only takes a few minutes to respond. Please click here:

https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/air-quality

Air pollution causes 29,000 early deaths a year in the UK – more than obesity and alcohol combined. It causes heart attacks, strokes, respiratory disease and children living near busy roads have been shown to grow up with underdeveloped lungs. It doesn’t really make much sense, but the government is trying to pretend that taking away duties to measure pollution would lead to more action on air pollution, and an increased focus on EU requirements. In reality the changes would mean that we would know less about the air we breathe and so less will be done to improve it.

The government is trying to slip this through under the radar because they’re already feeling the pressure. They’ve been taken to court by environmental lawyers to push them to do the right thing.

Environmental lawyers, ClientEarth, think a big display of public opposition could make all the difference to how the government responds. Please click the link to write in to the consultation, it’s really simple and will only take 3 minutes:

https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/air-quality

This is the message I posted on the website:

Please don't push through damaging changes which remove all responsibility for local authorities to measure air quality and declare where it is a problem (options 3 and 4 in your consultation).

As a former teacher and headteacher in the inner city I kept track of air quality in order to advise children and families, particularly those already suffering from asthma and allergies, of periods when they would be liable to have respiratory problems..

Where I live in Brent, with main roads including the North Circular, and areas of poor air quality around Park Royal, Wembley and Neasden, local people have a right to know the quality of the air they and their children breathe. This gives them the knowledge to take personal preventative action as well as to make representations through the political process, locally and nationally.

Be responsible - don't remove these responsibilities.


 

 

Companies ejected from Arms Fair after Caroline Lucas' intervention

Two companies have been ejected from an arms fair after the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion raised evidence of breaches of the law in Parliament.

Caroline Lucas was provided with evidence that items being promoted at the DSEI arms fair currently under way at ExCel were illegal under UK law.  They included handheld projectile electric shock weapons, weighted leg cuffs, and stun batons.

She tabled a question in Parliament, and raised a point of order today.   DSEI has now confirmed  “that the Tianjin Myway International Trading Co. and Magforce International have been ejected from DSEI “

Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion said:

It’s frankly disgusting that items like this are being are being promoted at a supposedly legitimate trade event in Britain.

It’s incredibly worrying that it takes a question in Parliament for action to be taken when there was clear evidence of items being promoted illegally.  Time and again the organisers of DSEI have shown that they cannot guarantee that exhibitors will remain with the law.   The Government is supposed to regulate this event and has shown startling complacency.

Brent Council legal team to investigate fraud allegations over Kensal Rise Library development

The Friends of Kensal Rise Library have sent a preliminary list to Brent Council of what it claims are fraudulent statements of support for the proposal of developer Andrew Gillick of Kensal Properties Ltd to put seven dwellings and a small space for community use into the former Kensal Rise Library.

The campaigners believe that the addresses of residents have been used without their consent and empty buildings and invented addresses have been used in order to influence and mislead the public and the planning committee of Brent Council who will decide if the proposal is to go ahead.

The ‘Friends’ intend to follow up this list later this week with another tranche of, what they believe, are fraudulent statements of support.

A number of residents have already sent complaints to the council.

Faye Bradbury, a local resident commented:

It is an outrage support has been listed in my name. I've always supported the Save Kensal Rise Library campaign.

Brent Council has reacted promptly with the Lead Member for the Environment, Roxanne Mashari sending the list to the head of Brent’s legal department with a request for an investigation and report as soon as possible.

It is understood that the list has also been sent to Boris Johnson the Mayor of London.

Margaret Bailey Chair of the Trustees of the Friends said:

We have taken advice from the Metropolitan Police and they advised in the first instance that we lodge a complaint with the council. We have done this and the council will investigate and produce a report as soon as possible. This is a very serious matter as fraud is illegal under the Fraud Act 2006. Naturally we hope any investigation by Brent Council or potentially the police will show who has lodged these statements of support.

All Souls College, who are still the legal owners of the building and who have entered an agreement with the developer Andrew Gillick of Kensal Properties to sell the property, have been notified of the suspicious statements of support.

Local investigations will continue.

Similar allegations were made in the planning consultation for the Willesden Green Library development as the commenter blow has reminded us LINK

Communications failure at Brent Civic Centre

The first Council meeting at Brent's £100,000,000 Civic Centre was the occasion for opening remarks  praising this 'magnificent' new building by Labour councillors.

Then things went downhill.

Councillors' microphones were either not working or only intermittent, making proceedings inaudible to the public and some councillors sounding like short-circuiting Daleks. The speakers' screen that shows the Mayor, who chairs the meeting, who is due to speak was not working. The mobile phone signal in the conference room was very poor and the broadband not sufficient to download the documents under discussion. The display board merely displayed the Brent logo rather than documents, speaker's names or motions under discussion.

The public are now roped off on the same floor level as the councillors with some councillors seated right in front of them, this obscures the view.

More complaints are coming in to me regarding the phone service including residents' calls not being answered, being abruptly cut off, barely audible answerphone messages and the robot switchboard voice recognition  'mishearing' names and departments and making ludicrous suggestions as to what the customer may require.

It is beginning too look more than mere teething problems.

Gardiner admits opposition stopped Modi's visit

The India News today quotes Barry Gardiner MP on the Modi visit  following the protest at the Brent Civic Centre on Monday LINK

Following the protest, Gardiner said that Modi is unable to come to the UK in the next few weeks in the face of so much of opposition.

This is contrary to previous statements that merely said Modi was too busy to come at present.

The same report quotes Pete Firmin, Chair of Brent TradesUnion Council:

It is a terrible idea to invite Modi given his involvement in the massacres in Gujarat. Barry Gardiner should withdraw the invitation right away,

 

Gardiner under fire on allegedly selective surgery appointments

Following the anti-Modi demonstration at Brent Civic Centre calling on Barry Gardiner to withdraw his invitation to the controversial Gujerat politician there was an ezxchange on Twitter about allegations that Gardiner had refused a surgery appointment to a woman with a Muslim name citing a full list but granted one to a man with an 'anglo' name who rang later. Gardiner produced a list of  people's names who had attended his surgery which included some of Muslim origin. The charge that he had tried to avoid meeting  potential critics continue to be made.

Here the 'man with the English name' writes a Guest Blog for Wembley Matters describing what happened:

As a constituent of Brent North I was recently approached with a request to try and book a session with my MP at his next Surgery. This came about as it seemed that a number of people involved in the campaign against inviting Narendra Modi to the UK had been unable to secure appointments until the end of the month at the earliest.

On 4^th September 2013 I made an email request at 21:32hrs to the office of Barry Gardiner MP requesting a Surgery appointment the following Monday, 9^th September. I was offered a slot with a caseworker, Ms. Sylvia To, via email the following morning pending the provision of some further details. The appointment was confirmed over the phone late the following afternoon.

I admit that in securing the appointment I used a little poetic license, describing the reason for my request as “issues surrounding the new Civic Centre” – which I euphemistically used to describe the planned demonstration.

Attending the demonstration prior to my 12:50hrs appointment I was introduced to one of the campaigners who had failed to secure a hearing, and updated on the day’s events; Barry Gardiner had issued a letter to the demonstrators after a brief discussion as he accessed the building, and people were being informed that Narendra Modi would not be taking up the invitation to visit the UK. The letter was a duplicate of an earlier missive to the Council of Indian Muslims (UK) dated 19^th August, with an additional paragraph noting the right to demonstrate and the small number of complaints the MP had received regarding the invite. 

Demonstrators with access to the Gujarati media pointed out that Modi had not refused to visit the UK, but was currently unable to do so due to the pressure of his role in leading the Opposition electoral campaign for the 2014 elections.

Barry Gardiner MP left the Civic Centre prior to my appointment, citing a late request to attend a meeting in Westminster. My meeting with Ms. To lasted exactly seven minutes and fifty-nine seconds from “Hello” to “Goodbye”.

Greeting Ms. To, I thanked her for providing me with a session at such short notice; she explained that normally it would take three weeks to get an appointment, but it looked like I had probably secured a cancellation. I again expressed my appreciation, clearly indicating that I was here as part of the demonstration and had been concerned that I had been prioritised for a hearing due to my “Anglo” name as other demonstrators had been unable to secure appointments. Ms. To said that they had been told this earlier and there was a short discussion about telephone line issues three weeks previously which was cut short when it was made clear that appointments had been offered by the MP’s Office. (This indicates the lack of a priority-based waiting list if true).

Ms. To then expressed how “bemused” Barry Gardiner was to find the demonstration. He had only received five letters via e-mail disputing the invite issued to Modi – had I read the letter he had issued to the demonstrators? I said I had, and it was a cut ‘n’ paste of his previous letter to the Council of Indian Muslims, that sadly took no account of their recent reply which had been a point by point refutation of his statements. Ms. To reiterated that the MP’s Office had only received five emails opposing the invite to Modi; they had fifteen pro-Modi messages after the invite was publicised, and the administrative staff assigned issues importance according to public intervention. I pointed out that there was obviously some feeling in the Borough opposing the invite: I was advised to tell all those who felt this way that they should contact the MP’s Office in writing. I expressed an ironic disappointment that the issue was to be reduced to a “numbers game”, but agreed to pass the information on. Ms. To apologised that I was not able to discuss the issues directly with Barry Gardiner MP, as he would have been more able to respond to my issues. She then indicated she could fill in a form with my concerns to be passed on to the MP. I am now on record for raising the following points with my MP’s Office:

1.    Modi is a known human rights abuser and – according to the University of Chicago – a member of a proto-fascist party. He is refused access to the USA. In the UK there are immigration controls against giving access to those who abuse human rights or have extremist political views. Why are we issuing an invite to such a man?

2.    Why would Barry Gardiner MP ignore the wishes of his voters and place more importance on the Gujarati economy?

3.    As Chair of the “Labour Friends of India” it is sad that my MP seems to be so ill-informed on this subject; he needs to reply to the rebuttal of his previous comments – repeated in the letter to the demonstrators today - by the Council of Indian Muslims (UK) soon;

4.    The issue is not about the ability of Modi to attend meetings in the UK; it is about refusing to issue visas of this kind to those who are perceived as worthy of economic rehabilitation. The invitation should be formally withdrawn, as it is now merely suspended.