RESIDENTS AND COUNCILLORS MISLED OVER WEST DERBY SCHOOL BUILDING and  REPLACEMENT PLAYING FIELDS

Dear Editor

 During the consultation meeting held at West Derby School, Quarry Road, residents and councillors were given a clear plan by education and the school that

the loss of Bankfield/Millbank playing fields would be compensated by new playing fields at the current West Derby Boys Quarry Wing site.

However council officials did recognise this alone would be result in a 19% loss of green space

 At the Planning Committee Tuesday 18th September the plans for the new school avoided any mention of the Quarry Wing being preserved for replacement fields.

Then the bombshell was landed that the replacement playing fields would be on Newsham Park. Our Education and Planning Officers party to this proposa dont seem to realise that Newsham Park is already public open space, so how on earth can this be a replacement for the loss of bankfield Playing Fields?,

 Have the residents of Newsham Park been consulted that the Victorian Park is to be laid out for football pitches- of course not!

 What a dishonest sham consultation which misled residents from start to finish. Residents and Ward Councillors feel we have been deliberately lied to

 Even worse ,when we crossed examined the Head of Libraries if the new school community library built on the playing fields would lead to closure of Lister Drive and Larkhill Libraries,

We got a begrudging reply it would not be viable to have libraries within two miles of each other 

 This stunning statement was deleted from the "bent minutes" of the school consultation meeting along with all the other critical comments about congestion

 The Planning Committee were told the new bringing together of the two schools, a special school and a community lbrary would not add to congestion - what planet are these officers on. They couldnt even tell us how the new 204 car park spaces would be and what roads they could be accessed from? 

 We welcome the Planning Committee have deferred their decision for more information.

 Without doubt Council Officials have been working to undermine the Councils policy to protect green and open spaces and ebncourage building on bownfield sites

 The Planning Committee should have and we hope will ,when they meet in a fortnight or so ,just throw the plans out.

 Too much open space has been lost in this city, the shortage of playing fields is worse due to the Lib Dems building on Stanley Park

 The new school is needed, however it should be built on the Lister Drive estate and building up real links between this IT School and developing industries.

 This vicinity has better access to cars and busses and potential for future expansion

 Yes we all want a new single site school but in the right place with the right transport infrastructure

 Cllrs Steve Radford

Liberal Party Group