Dear neighboursWe were told by Building Schools for the Future on Friday that the planning application was to be submitted by this morning (Monday 7th February) latest.
Many of us are concerned that the consultation process has been largely cosmetic and that our opinions on such an extensive development have not been taken on board even as starting points in a meaningful exchange of opinions.
This is a massive building project that has not convinced that it is for the benefit of the children who will attend the school. Based on a narrow interpretation of special needs, we are told that cramming more than 150 children and 200 staff in the space that in neighbouring streets would be used only as back yards is sound practice and meets the 'seclusion' needs of children with special needs.
The development as it currently stands will amount to an onslaught on one of the last green areas in our neighbourhood enjoyed by both pupils and residents and will dramatically affect our local environment and will increase considerably to the traffic pressure of our area.
Most of us want to see Horizon school redeveloped and the children attending it thrive. We support a state of the art school supporting children and families. We do not, however, accept the dilemma posed to us by the project team that the only way forward is to construct a monstrous building that will alienate the pupils and estrange the local community.
Local residents are meeting this evening at 7pm at the Palatine pub on Palatine Road to discuss how we respond to the Horizon redevelopment.
Please come along if you possibly can and make your voice count
3 comments:
This is another example of Hackney Council's top down approach - taking little notice of what local 'stake holders' really want and need in their area.
I wish you luck
I've lived happily next to this school for a long time. What residents want is for the school to be part of the community, not the proposed high security fortress proposed.
It is disappointing to see that the local community is blatantly ignored but, more importantly, it is extremely alarming to see that the school pupils' and their families' welbeing is being sacrificed to our local authority's grand design. It is time that Hackney Council gets in touch with its citizens and does not dream of white elephants. Have we not learned anything from the Clissold swimming pool fiasco?
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