hall users too?

At the last minute they realised that they should have done this and the local Tory councillors hastily sent a letter around in the week before the Committee. This said that that another premises had been found in a local church. However this wasn’t the case, but it did give false reassurance and influence Committee members to agree with the plan.

During the Committee I proposed amendments on behalf of the Labour team and local residents. A commitment to supporting the nursery and other users of the community hall, and meeting moving costs was agreed. A proposal to make these houses social housing – desperately needed and very possible in a rare development that the Council is doing itself – was rejected. Any mention of this proposaldismissive about the on-going and ever deeper school cuts. National outrage at Justine Greening’s proposed cuts before the General Election did lead to a back-down, but Wandsworth’s state schools face difficult decisions about staffing and school facilities because budgets are reduced. We have wonderful teaching staff and excellent schools in Wandsworth and yet the Conservative councillors are putting their heads in the sand and singing a ‘our schools will be fine’ mantra when faced with any attempt to tell them what damage the Government is doing. The Education secretary is a Wandsworth MP, and they should be speaking out and saving our education system instead of standing by.

NB2 The engagement of additional security resources was a result of concerns re disruption and following consultation with the Metropolitan Police.

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