| Topic: | Completion of Oasis Primary delayed by 4 weeks - letter to WBC CEO seeking clarification | |
| Posted by: | Nicholas Evans | |
| Date/Time: | 22/07/16 09:46:00 |
| I sent the following letter to Paul Martin, CEO of Wandsworth Council, on the 20th July: +++++++++++++++++++++++ Dear Mr Martin, In your Topline Indicators report (ref 16-173) to the Education and Children's Services Overview and Strategy Committee held on the 28 June the completion date for the new Oasis primary school at Putney Common was reported as being delayed by four weeks to the 31 October. It has been obvious to residents who live close to the site for some time that the school and adjacent flats are very far from being completed. The agent for the sale of the flats (Featherstone Leigh) originally advertised that the show flat would be opened in July. This has now been delayed to the end of September. This delay in completion obviously has knock-on effects on when the school will be able to be open and accept pupils. I have requested a revised date from Oasis, and a figure for the number of pupils who have applied to be enrolled, but have not yet received a reply. You will be aware that the projection was for two reception classes totalling 60 children to start in the September term. I am under the impression that the actual number of people who have applied for entry for their children is rather less than anticipated. This might alleviate the impact of the late opening of the school, but I think the local community should be aware of what is happening. Apart from the problems associated with the developers delay in completion, there are also a number of planning and contractual hurdles that will need to be addressed before the school can admit any pupils at all, even if part-completed. The first is the "Car Park Management Plan" (planning ref 2016/3411) which will need to be carefully reviewed before it is accepted by your planning authorities. The WPCC - who own the access road - are required to give approval before the plan can go ahead. At this stage they have not done so, and the next opportunity to consider the plan will at be their board meeting in October. I have myself considered the draft text of the plan and have a number of concerns about it, some of which I have added to your planning portal. In relation to the above there is also a Condition in the planning permission related to the site, as follows: Condition 42 of the Decision Notice 2012/0758 Details of a car park management plan, including management of parking on the access road shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority before the development hereby approved is occupied, and the car parking shall be managed in accordance with the approved plan. In order that the local planning authority be satisfied as to the details of the car park management arrangements in accordance with policy DMT1. The Easement Agreement between the WBC and WPC completed in August 2014 also contains a number of covenants concerning the return of common land being developed by Durkens on your behalf. These include the complete removal of all equipment and materials related to the development of the schools and flats before the school can function. I am sure that the Conservators will not expect these covenants to be breached. I am of course aware of your Planning Enforcement policies, which are shown at www.wandsworth.gov.uk/info/1003/planning_enforcement . I would be grateful if you could respond to these concerns, and provide further information on what the Council intends. Yours sincerely, Nicholas Evans |