There is outrage in Godalming today as local MP Jeremy Hunt (who once opened the Forest School at Green Oaks above*), now sends commiserations for its closure – even though no decision has been made!! Remember we are in the middle of a Surrey County Council consultation (or have you and your mate – and Godalming SCC Cllr Peter Martin already made all the decisions behind the scenes?)
Feelings can be summed up by this local resident’s post:
One of the key questions of the meeting is whether a religious education is more important than having a school at all. The Diocese who run Green Oaks seem to be prepared to close the school rather than let a non Christian Academy take it over.
Jeremy Hunt put his support of the school closure down to “these difficult financial times” – no doubt he’s referring to the austerity measures created by the Conservatives?
In the meantime local Councillors and parents have even taken the fight to the Department of Education no less, in a search for a Multi Academy Trust to take on the school. Impressive stuff:
One of those Councillors was new boy Paul Follows, who wrote an update here. Who will turn up at this meeting to face the parents? Lets hope they get some answers this time, although we aren’t holding our breath!
*so proud was our Jeremy he put the photo on his own website.
Whatever happened to the much-vaunted Localism Act, another of David Cameron’s masterpieces, in which central government was meant to be allowing local authorities to use local knowledge and preferences in order to make more decisions? Yet another example of those who think that they were “born to rule” presenting a total sham. We are suffering from more government interference in our daily lives than ever. Not helped by the modern practice of having “career politicians” who take minor jobs in Parliament upon leaving school or university rather than being represented by people who have lived and worked in the real world for a significant period.
We agree with every word you say – and with every day that passes – we despair.
There is no doubt that this decision was already made. Years of decision making behind closed doors have removed Conservative Councils & Councillors so far from the real world that they honestly believed that they would get away with it. Community outrage has come as a shock and more importantly (to our upright, honest and incorruptible politicians) the moral high ground and therefore political advantage has been ceded to Godalming’s Liberal Democrat’s. The fear that seats may continue to be lost (less than 13 months now!) might just change this decision and we may all come to understand just how the Conservatives value the future and education of other people’s children after all (rather than their own slender grasp on power). Well done to Penny Rivers & Paul Fellows for their robust contribution to last night’s meeting.
Thank you for your comments, which succeeded in lifting our spirits over here in Farnham. Just 13 months during which the troops can be rallied to bring down this shocking administration. Yet another example last night (see today’s post) when it appears the Joint Planning Committee allowed a developer to provide £380,000 less in infrastructure contributions that had been agreed when the scheme was given outline consent. How disgraceful. Apparently, Surrey County Council did not have a use for the developer’s contribution towards the provision of primary education in Farnham!! Waverley’s slender hold on power is slipping, and fast!