School Move

The Debate

This is a major project, and, like all major projects, it is complex in design and execution.

In January 2008 the Executive Committee of Islington Council decided to go ahead with the project, with both the Liberal Democrat and the Labour Parties voting in favour.

A great deal of thought, consultation and expertise went into submitting a planning proposal to Islington Planning Service, and – as is required by the legal protection of Metropolitan Open Land – to the Mayor of London’s Office. In the summer of 2009 we heard that we had the agreement we needed from the Mayor’s Office for the plans to be considered by Islington’s planning committee.

Like all major planning applications, this one inspired objections, in this case from some residents of a road adjoining the school who were worried about what might eventually replace the school on its current site and decided that they should therefore oppose the school moving at all. One issue they raised, and which received some coverage in the local press, is that of security for the new school at the Crouch Hill Site. Security for Ashmount’s children is of course an absolute priority for the school’s Governing Body, which has responded to all identified security issues with the support of Islington Council. There is no evidence either from crime statistics or from the experience of Bowlers Nursery (which has operated at Crouch Hill for twenty years) that the Crouch Hill Site presents any problems that cannot be solved.

There was some suggestion in the press (in the week ending Friday 2 October 2009) that these issues had been concealed in some way. This is not the case; and anyone who would like further information should click below to consult the following documents:
Report by a Metropolitan Police Officer on security at Crouch HillResponse to that report by Ashmount’s Governing BodyReport on security at Crouch Hill by the Islington Parks Patrol ServiceResponse by the Chair of Ashmount’s Governing Body to an objection from the ‘Ashmount Site Action Group’ lodged with the Mayor of London

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