Wednesday 10th MAY 7pm at the Freemasons
All residents are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of the DHRA on Wednesday 10th May at 7pm which will be followed by drinks. An agenda will be issued on the evening but the main topic, apart from a review of the year, the Treasurer’s report and election of the committee, will be an update on the School.
As you will know the Council Planning Committee, with our support, unanimously refused planning for a 420 place Free School at the old police station back in summer 2016. The Head of Education at the Council also objected as did the nearest non-religious state primary school.
The Free School, funded by the Education Funding Agency (EFA) has not appealed but they have very recently decided to submit a new planning application for a single form entry school with 210 pupils. This is clearly a big change as in their original planning application the EFA was very clear in stating that a smaller 210 place school was not financially viable. All of the issues originally raised will, of course, have to be addressed again and we will need to see a scheme before we can comment.
Many believe that an application for 210 pupils would just be the first phase and we should expect a phase two, to take it up to 420 pupils, at a later date. It is also surprising that they have been unable to find premises for a scaled-down school in the Belsize Park catchment area which would have resolved many of the issues related to the proposed use of the old police station.
It is very early days as far as a new planning application is concerned but we will discuss this at the AGM and will be seeking views as to next steps.
As always, if anyone is interested in joining the committee, please let me know before the meeting.
I do hope you can attend.
Stephen Ainger
Chair, 8 Downshire Hill
0207 431 3175
Downshire Hill Residents’ Association
Treasurer Mark Dennis