Floodlights planning application on Alleyns astro turf pitch

[Townleygreen]

Dear Sillywoman,

If you pass the entrance exam, you can get a bursary and pay nothing.

They had to close the pool/sports club because (unlike JAGs) it can't be physically separated from the rest of the school site and so a sports club user could gain access to a child at the school. It caused great dismay at the school, but it was just for H & S reasons.

Southwark wouldn't let them use spare land along Townley road (between the astro and the road) as a car park. That rather undermines your argument that money talks too. So blame Southwark for the car parking situation, not the school.

Your views might just come over as sheer prejudice!

[sillywoman]

Townley, with the greatest of respect - that's a bit simplistic.

There are extremely few full bursaries and they are seemingly rarely given, They are given (rightly I guess) to the extremely clever & gifted students, or (wrongly IMO) to those with associations with the school - so I'm told.

Your averagely clever 11 year old would only be inline for a bursary if they've had sufficient tutoring/extra tuition in how to sit & pass the entrance exam. That cost's money - quite a bit if you're looking at the private tutor option - and for a lot of people more money than they have to spare from the family budget in the years leading up to sitting the exam. So essentially, for your averagely clever child in a family on a reasonable, but only average income it's not really an option to even consider applying to Alleyns.

I'm sure there are all sorts of reasons and excuses for why Alleyns 'can't' offer their marvelous facilities to the local population, or to explain why they now have to park all their cars & coaches on our residential streets. And you're right, my views probably do come across as prejudiced -that's because, after 15 years of dealings with them (over 40 years in MrS's case), I probably am. It doesn't necessarily mean I'm wrong though.

[murphy]

Townleygreen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Dear Sillywoman,

>

> If you pass the entrance exam, you can get a

> bursary and pay nothing.

>

> They had to close the pool/sports club because

> (unlike JAGs) it can't be physically separated

> from the rest of the school site and so a sports

> club user could gain access to a child at the

> school. It caused great dismay at the school, but

> it was just for H & S reasons.

>

> Southwark wouldn't let them use spare land along

> Townley road (between the astro and the road) as a

> car park. That rather undermines your argument

> that money talks too. So blame Southwark for the

> car parking situation, not the school.>

> Your views might just come over as sheer

> prejudice!

The "spare land" which you refer to is more commonly known as Metropolitan Open Land, not really suitable for turning into a car park.

The "car parking situation" was caused because the school built the new theatre over the original school car park that was not on MOL, (although the school did eat into some MOL for the new theatre as well). So you can blame the school for the car parking situation. Residents at the time of the theatre development raised parking issues as a major concern.

It's perfectly reasonable for Alleyn's to develop the school and I don't recall any objections from local residents when Alleyn's built the new dining hall, large new sports hall or built a major new block for the primary/junior school. Accusations that local residents are always guilty of nimbyism are not correct, residents have been happy for the school to develop new building many times, but rightly object on the occasions when they feel development has a detrimental effect for local residents.

[Townleygreen]

I agree, but this is a "strip" next to the road, and there are lots of trees on it (still room for cars) and the grass could have been retained, with those concrete pads underneath. I am not talking about the larger area near the tennis courts.

The new theatre was not built over a car park, it was built over a corner of the playing fields. The car parking that was lost was formerly on corners of the tarmacked area which is now fully available for the children to play on. Formerly cars were taking up space that it would be nicer if the kids could use for playing at break or whenever.

I doubt if you were told this by a friend of the school, Sillywoman! If the school were to do this in today's climate they would risk being sued by a ligitious parent.

Bursaries are given exclusively to children who do well in the entrance exams, and who otherwise could not afford to attend, based on income. Full stop.

[James Barber]

I thought the theatre was built to support the national youth theatre which originated andISS still based there.

[Brightsparks]

Sports Lighting UK design and install telescopic floodlighting systems. their 8m telescopic floodlighting column retracts to 2.9m, and a 12m retracts to 4.5m complete with floodlights. Hope this helps.

[Townleygreen]

No it doesn't help Brightsparks. Blatant advertising!