AN angry councillor has quizzed Thurrock’s education chief over his sums and criticised him for not backing elected councillors’ objections to plans for 153 new homes in an area where schools can’t meet existing demands.
Chafford South councillor Tunde Ojetola was livid after members of Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation’s Planning Committee brushed aside his – and the Council’s – objections to a housing development behind the Bannatynes Fitness Centre in Howard Road.
Councillor Ojetola made an impassioned plea to Monday’s meeting, saying Chafford Hundred was already ‘jam-packed’ and that schools in the area were already massively over subscribed.
He recalled anger last year when parents found they couldn’t get their children into local secondary and primary schools and told the Corporation that fury had driven residents to protest on the streets.
However, though Thurrock Council’s own planning committee had told the Corporation it wanted the homes scheme rejected, the Council’s education department raised no objections – instead asking for a one-off handout of £295,808.27 from developers Stephen Howard Homes.
Councillor Ojetola was baffled and after the meeting contacted borough education chief Robert McCulloch-Graham to demand answers.
He asked the director for children, education and families how his team had come up with such a figure and how they planned to spend it to combat a problem which means hundreds of local children will not be able to attend a local school of their choice.
He also wanted to know why the education team hadn’t opposed the new homes, accusing them of not telling the true story.
In his memo to the schools chief councillor Ojetola said: “In my view, the education team have done Chafford residents a disservice by not providing the DC the full facts about school places in the area such that they have made the decision to grant permission for the development without this information.
“Can you please explain why the report to the DC did not feature the reality about school places?
“Disappointingly the assessment from Thurrock Education Authority did not object to the recommendation on the grounds of education. "There was no mention about the demonstration last year when residents could not obtain admission to their three local schools; or the fact that an emergency 26 extra places had to be provided to accommodate local children.
“What explanation are you going to give to the residents when the children from this development can't get assess to their local schools?”
Thurrock Gazette
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