The children already attending the school are being bussed out in rush hour traffic to an empty school a couple of miles away in a convoy of gas-guzzling coaches. The wishes of the parents have been totally ignored.Many Victorian and Edwardian school buildings have been demolished as unfit for purpose. The stock is diminishing rapidly. They are replaced by wonderful modern glass-and-steel monstrosities which are boiling and blinding on sunny days. A school recently rebuilt nearby has a vast atrium with acres of carpet. When only open a week, it had acquired some nesting pigeons who were decorating the carpet nicely. Another was designed without educational needs in mind - the company paying for the build said they could not put things on the walls. IN A SCHOOL! What do these people think schools are for?
The parents at Lewisham Bridge School played the game even more cleverly than the Council and the mayor. They put their case to English Heritage, and on April 8th the building was given Grade II listing. This means that it cannot be demolished, and even work on the inside is subject to strict planning controls.
Of course, the arrogant mayor is going to try and appeal the listing - some chance! Still the children are being bussed out, though, and the parents are camping out on a low roof adjacent to the road, with banners demanding their children be returned to the school.
I wish them luck. I wish the mayor everything he deserves on his £70,000 a year - I include nothing good in that.
6 comments:
what a gorgeous building! i can't believe people would want to demolish it. people are so stupid. i was actually impressed and relieved in the last couple of years our little town "refurbished" the downtown. they took off the false fronts of all the old store fronts and sand blasted the buildings to their original beauty. for once, our tax dollars were put to something we were happy w/. good luck to those parents.
Congrats, Val!
imo it's a crime to replace heritage buildings with glossy/glassy "guardhouses".
My town used to have some lovely old buildings, we used to have a beautiful old Opera house, they've all been torn down....Shame on the officials who thought that was a good idea.
Very glad the school was saved.
More power to rthe parents!! I have never understood how it can be a good thing to bus kids miles away when there is a great school on the doorstep.Especially when we are constantly told kids don't get enough excercise..surely walking to a local school is better for them than sitting on a bus or in a car?? Plus parernts generally like to be involved with what goes on at schools and it's hard to do that if it's not local...the powers-that-be often leave me speechless
what a gorgeous building! i can't believe people would want to demolish it.
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Vince
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