UTC Update

What is the subject that causes the most heat in Park Ward and East Reading? It is the provision of school places for East Reading's children and so it was to discuss the subject that about 100 people gathered in Alfred Sutton's main hall last night.

Passions rose as the meeting, led by Cllr John Ennis, described the coming shortages in junior school and senior school places. Residents passions bubbled over in to anger when Conservative Councillor Isobel Balsdon, never known for her comfortable relationship with the public, tried to score political points while speaking on behalf of Rob Wilson MP. Passion became anger when Cllr Balsdon announced that our MP was secretly negotiating with a "provider" for a school for 11-16 year olds to be built "somewhere" in East Reading. That anger doubled when she stated that she was not at liberty to tell us anything else because of "bad publicity. Balsdon is well remembered by Park and Redlands residents as the Cllr who most vehemently supported Wokingham's plans to exclude Reading children from Maiden Erleigh School.

Cllr Ennis and Chief Education Officer Kevin McDaniel calmly presented the issues in East Reading of pupil place shortfall. In short Reading has seen a 34% growth of the 0-4 cohort from 2001 to 2011 and from 2014 will be short 12 classes at reception and the area will be short 16 classes at year 7.  The £25m spent by Reading on its junior schools in expanding class provision will deal with this problem in the Junior/Primary sector, however it is at Secondary level that there are larger problems, which brought the meeting to the subject of Rob Wilson's UTC on Crescent Road.

The above map shows the way that the "Alfred Sutton" site on Crescent Road is divided.

A1 and A2 is the land that belongs to Alfred Sutton Primary School.
A3 is the site of the childrens' centre on Hamilton Road
B1 and B2 is the site of the UTC
C1 and C2 is the part of the site owned by a developer

The temper of the meeting was that the UTC is going to happen, it will only take children aged between 14-19, but since it is going ahead we should work with it. Kevin McDaniel advised that because of its catchment area and age range it may have only a minimal effect on Reading's shortage of secondary places.

What is worrying is the fact that the Sports Hall and Tennis Courts is under the threat of development. The covenants on the land mean that it can only be used for education, unless there is no educational use for the land. Cllr Ennis explained that RBC would like to put either a 2 form primary school on the site or Secondary School. Both these ideas would need funding, and while he stated that the council was looking at borrowing to build, Government rules dictate that the option of Free School has to be muted as a first step and only when this step has been exhausted can the Council step in. There are also issues of density and making it fit it with the general area. The meeting agreed that it did not want to see housing on the site, however could not agree what it wanted.

Cllr Ennis and Kevin McDaniel both said that this morning was the beginning, not the end of the process. They both asked residents to give them their views, either directly at the meeting, or by taking part in the consultation process that will start on the 15th Oct.

So what do you think should be done with the area C1 and C2, school? something else? Whatever your opinion please take part in the consultation. When the link is up I will post it to help this.

If you want to tell me your opinion please comment below (note all comments will be moderated)

School Places in East Reading

Rob Wilson MP having appeared to have washed his hands of his "half cocked" plans for a Senior School for 14-18years olds in East Reading, I am pleased to see that RBC, under the Labour Lead Councillor, Cllr John Ennis, is holding a public meeting to discuss the issue with local residents.

I spent a very pleasant morning delivering leaflets to parents as they went in to Alfred Sutton Primary advertising a Public Meeting to be held on the 27th September at 6.30pm. Most of the parents I spoke either said that they would come along or would send someone on their behalf.

Unfortunately the Head of Alfred Sutton seems to be a little confused and is humming and hawing about whether the meeting should be advertised in the school newsletter. I bumped in to a Governor of the school who told me that she is under the impression that it is some sort of party political meeting and therefore won't be advertising it. I hope after the conversation I had with the school Governor and a good reading of the leaflet above will help her to change her mind.

Nevertheless I hope that as many local parents from Alfred Sutton, Newtown, Redlands and St Johns will be able to make it as the decisions made about Secondary provision will effect East Reading for generations.

I will be there and I hope to see you there too.

Worries About Alfred Sutton Field

The TVU site slowly turning in to a jungle

I have been asked about what is going on with the proposals for the new school at the old TVU site on Crescent Road.

As a result I am writing to Rob Wilson MP who was promoting the scheme what his take on it is, however what we can be sure of is that with Wokingham having campaigned to remove Reading's children from Maiden Erleigh and a growth in school numbers at Newtown and Alfred Sutton schools the need for more secondary places remains.

It is clear that Reading Uni has lost interest and is no longer willing to support the plan, it is also clear that a 14-18 school will not meet the needs of East Readings' children and especially those who currently attend, Redlands, Alfred Sutton, Newtown and St Johns and St Stephens.

Alfred Sutton Field from Crescent Road

One element of the whole plan that has caused the most disquiet, it being the wrong sort of school for the area apart, is what is happening on the field. Reading Borough Council does not own the whole field, only if my memory serves it only owns a wedge in the centre. It appears that the developer have planned, or may have even already sold off their part of the field to developers to offset the costs of the development.

I personally object to development on the field, in fact the first campaign I took part on was to prevent the overdevelopment of the Green Road site. I would urge all residents of East Reading to write to our MP to gt him to clarify the issue and to make it clear our opposition to the encroachment on our vital green lung.

Meanwhile the Crescent Road site is becoming evermore derelict with the grass at least 18" high.

How much higher will the grass get before locals and East Reading residents finally find out what is going on?