Former ED police station fetches in excess of 5 million!

[Earl Aelfheah]

Agree re. all the psuedo military vehicles. My road looks like helmand province. We used to laugh at the Americans all driving ludicrous oversized tanks.

tallulah71 Wrote:

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> What SJ and Ron70 said.

>

> Lots of young families moving here, breeding, and

> needing education and that. I can't think of a

> better use of space.

>

> What we really don't need are those idiots who

> drive 4x4 cars so no-one can ever pass them.

> Please buy smaller cars and get over yourselves -

> We know you're rich, but you really do block most

> of East Dulwich. And the world. ;)

>

> And east dulwich is fairly flat. You're not having

> an "adventure" in your 4x4. You are just causing

> traffic.

[adonirum]

StraferJack Wrote:

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> Prepping for my 50th in a few years? Counts as old

> to me

You young whipper-snapper, StraferJack!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Otta]

He's been silver haired since he left primary school though.

[StraferJack]

Tis true....

[matty40]

it's going to be a Harris Academy school

[bob]

Labour council reject plans to list the station as a community asset what now.

Bob S

[James Barber]

Hi bob,

Sadly they did reject it.

They said the Localism Act 2011 didnt allow it.

But we've found so far three other English local councils that interpreted the law and DID list police station as local community assets!

So I've asked for a review and complained as it's a really important principle ot save other such police bases across Southwark. Doesn't help East Dulwich but still it needs to be done.

[StraferJack]

I'm confused - what's the benefit of listing that carbuncle as a community asset?

[Louisa]

What difference does this make to the go-ahead of the new school?

Louisa.

[bob]

James thank's for the Head's up.

Bob S

[James Barber]

Hi SJ,

At one point it looked like the Police station was going to be sold for flats and a supermarket instead of sold to host a new school.

We are desperately short of school places and the Police station represented one of the few pieces of lcoal land a school could be built on.

Hi Louisa,

The land owner would have been told of the application, they will have seen other police station around England being so listed, so it may have tipped the balance with all the other pressure we applied to get it sold for a school. Equally it may have made no difference!

[StraferJack]

So it is going to be a school and that is a good thing right?

So what's the problem with labour and their decision. It's irrelevant surely?

[James Barber]

Hi SJ,

It didn't help make this happen - and it was on a knife edge which way it went. With Community Listing I suspect even just the process helped. But rejecting it wrongly coudl easilly have resulted in a higher non school bid winning. Their decision also places at risk other Police stations until they agree they got it wrong. The community listing reduces the incentive to try selling Police stations.

[LondonMix]

So has it been sold to the Department of Education or a private buyer who intends to use it as a school?

What is the current status of things?

[James Barber]

My understanding is that the head of term are being finalised but that the sale will be to the Department of Education to be used for an East Dulwich Harris Free Primary School.

[first mate]

Harris....again.

[Otta]

James Barber Wrote:

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

> They said the Localism Act 2011 didnt allow it.

> But we've found so far three other English local

> councils that interpreted the law and DID list

> police station as local community assets!

Were these other Police Stations open active stations (thus community assets), or empty shells?

[LondonMix]

Is this the school that had support and was targeting the hospital site or is the a 2nd Harris primary school.

[James Barber]

Yes LondonMix. Department of Health so painful (excuse the uninended pun) that we've had to find alternative sites.

First permanent one found, just need to find second permanent site.

Saying that I still hope the temporory Primary school site will be the Dulwich Hospital.

[LondonMix]

Second site for what? Is Harris opening 2 secondary schools in the area? Did they get enough support from parents for this? Or are you looking for a site for another free school?

[noelewilson]

what does the wording "the head of term are being finalised "mean

[nxjen]

LondonMix Wrote:

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

> Second site for what? Is Harris opening 2

> secondary schools in the area? Did they get

> enough support from parents for this? Or are you

> looking for a site for another free school?

See EastDulwichSE22 post of 31 January which I think is lifted from James' website.

[James Barber]

Hi LondonMix,

Harris are not opening any new secondary schools in the area.

We're talking about the primary school places crisis. They have support for tw oprimary schools towards the 3-4 we need locally.

Hi noelewilson,

Head of Terms is part of the contract of sale of the site. It should be a detail once the principles of sales have been agreed which they have been.

[LondonMix]

Sorry, I meant primary schools. So the Whately Road site is one of two approved primary schools with DfE funding behind them? I was only aware of one school having parental backing.

[daveybigpotatoes]

Why are Harris being allowed to monopolise new build education in ED? Far too many eggs in that unproven basket locally already