Friday, 28 June 2013

Why Don't We Have A School In Lower Earley?

Over the past few years Liberal Democrats have been asked by residents "why is there no secondary school in Lower Earley for Lower Earley children?"

With so many houses and families you would have thought that the planner of the 1970's and 80's would have put in some provision for a secondary school, wouldn't you?

Well they did but the Tories sold off the land in 1991.

In July 1991 at a meeting of the Berkshire County Council the Conservative leader Cllr Gareth Gimblett proposed that the Council sell the 4 acres of land off Cutbush lane that had been designated as land for Educational use and also not to take up the option of a further 16 acres of adjoining land.

37 Conservatives voted for the sell off. 16 liberal Democrat and 1 Independent AH Fuad (Thames ward) voted against the sale. 19 Labour and 1 independent Arthur hartley(Old Windsor) abstained.

The Conservatives got their way and the land was sold despite fierce Liberal Democrat opposition. It's a shame that Labour abstained and refused to support the Liberal Democrats.

This is why we dont have a Secondary School in Lower Earley.

You can download a copy of the minutes from the Berkshire County Council meeting referred to above here: https://sites.google.com/a/earleyliberaldemocrats.org/earley-lib-dem-newsletters/home/Minutes-BCC-20071991.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1