Minutes:
Steve Batcheler, Project Director - Education & Skills Funding Agency, informed the committee of the need to build a temporary school for the pupils of Kensington Aldridge Academy following the fire at Grenfell Tower.
David Benson, Principal of Kensington Aldridge Academy, addressed the committee and talked about the fall-out of the fire. All of his pupils live within half a mile of the school (and by extension, the tower) so many were affected by the tragic events of that night. It was important for them to open the school (temporarily relocated to Latymer Upper School and Burlington Danes) as soon as they could, to provide a sense of normality. They held emotional, but cathartic, assemblies – and had educational psychologists to provide trauma management support to those who needed it. The children’s education was remarkably unaffected – attendance was in the 90s. Most pupils were dealing with the situation well but around ten percent were experiencing varying levels of post-traumatic stress. Counselling and support was being provided for them.
Until recently it was thought that the school site could reopen relatively soon, but the scale and complexity of the forensic investigation at the tower would take a significant amount of time – then the tower had to be wrapped, demolished, the air quality passed as safe. Beyond that the school had to be cleaned, fire tested, and prepared for the pupils’ return. It was thought that this process would take two terms – up to April 2018.
David acknowledged that there would be some challenges having two large secondary schools within 250 yards of each other – particularly around arriving in the morning and leaving at the end of the day. However, he felt the issues were manageable. He gave assurances that there would be a senior staff presence outside the school during these times. He promised that the school would be responsive and would deal with any issues as soon as they arrive and they would engage actively with the local community. They would also be receiving additional money from the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for support and alternative provision for the few pupils who had challenging behaviour etc.
Stephen Waley-Cohen asked how many pupils the temporary school would cater for. David said there would be 960 students.
Steve Batcheler said the ESFA had looked at a number of site options. The initial choice was using the sports fields at Burlington Danes Academy but it would have removed the use of the fields for a whole year so was rejected. It quickly became apparent that the RedGra at Wormwood Scrubs was the best available option. He said the ESFA would leave the site in a better condition than it was now – and they would consult on how best to achieve that. Steve took a moment to thank Dave McNamara and Council colleagues for the ‘unprecedented’ level of support for the project.
Phoebe Leach, Technical Consultant – Mace, took the committee through the proposal presentation. She highlighted the following key considerations:
· Tree pruning and trimming – minimising damage to trees
· Access through the Pony Centre
· Retaining the new cycle path for public
· Working hours - daylight hours only but weekends were being considered
· Noise intrusion limited – using strip foundations for the buildings and a traffic management plan would be put in place
· Car park - loss of 6 to 8 bays for the initial phase only
· ICT route to Burlington Danes Academy
· Safeguarding of pupils – school link to Burlington Danes
· Car park entrance and main access routes
· New pedestrian lane off Scrubs Lane – with new road markings and signage
Phoebe informed the committee that due to the tight timescales for the project, the planning application to the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation would run in parallel to the build.
Miriam Shea asked if there had been discussions about the site with the Pony Centre. Phoebe said there had, and the Centre had kindly offered free lessons for the pupils.
Councillor Wesley Harcourt suggested having lorries go straight onto the RedGra rather than taking Woodlands Mews to reduce noise and disruption for residents.
Mark Jones asked how confident the project planners were that the proposed structures would fit on the site. Phoebe responded that they were looking to deliver not just traditional classrooms but all the specialisms the school was known for – dance, design and technology etc. She said they wanted to fit in as much as possible to give the pupils every opportunity to succeed. She was confident the proposed structures would fit.
Councillor Wesley Harcourt asked what the structures would look like. Phoebe directed the committee to the photos on the last two pages of the presentation booklet – and added that they would be wrapped in coloured vinyl so it would blend into the local environment. David Benson noted that the aesthetics of the school was important to him – the school environment should be vibrant, and inspirational. He assured the committee that it would look modern and attractive – and would maintain visual consistency with the original school.
Councillor Wesley Harcourt raised the issues of the income from bookings on the RedGra. Steve Batcheler said he had been given a figure of £280k from officers for a rental value for the site – and said that would be matched by the ESFA.
Councillor Joe Carlebach said it was important that any existing bookings of the site be given the option of alternative arrangements – particularly Olympia who had done a lot for the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire. He asked officers to contact them as soon as possible to check what bookings they had.
Stephen Waley-Cohen noted that the West Way was relatively empty and could be used as a temporary car park if needed. Officers thanked him for the suggestion and said it would be considered.
Stephen Waley-Cohen said the Friends of Wormwood Scrubs were keen for the Scrubs to be played on and used for nature study etc. They would welcome the pupils using the space and would be happy to provide volunteers to do nature walks and projects. David Benson thanked him for the kind offer – he said there were lots of projects that could be developed between them to make the experience a positive one for everyone.
Councillor Elaine Chumnery said she was sure Woodlands Mews residents would be supportive of the project but there would be some people who would be housebound while the works took place – she suggested offering them some respite from the noise. She also asked that any consultation with residents made it very clear when works would begin and end each day. She felt having staggered start and end times for the two schools would help to reduce concerns around anti-social behaviour – but also felt it was important to have an increased presence from safer neighbourhood officers (dedicated ward officers), PCSOs, and road marshals.
Councillor Joe Carlebach suggested speaking to the hospital trust about the impact of the vehicle movements.
Councillor Wesley Harcourt said the committee supported the proposal but asked officers and the ESFA to look closely at the legal aspects of the project. The Wormwood Scrubs Act prevented the erection of structures on the Scrubs. Steve Batcheler assured the Committee that they were looking closely at this and would agree final arrangements shortly. They would also be looking to get consent from the Charity Commission, and the support of the Mayor of London and Minister for London.
Councillor Wesley Harcourt noted that he was a member of the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation Planning Committee and to avoid the appearance of prejudgement would recuse himself from any meeting discussing the application for this project. Officers noted that the planning application was due to be considered at the meeting on 21 September.
RESOLVED
That the Committee approved the relocation proposal and that officers are delegated to take the actions necessary to conclude the licence to occupy the site.