Objections to a free school (Edgware)
The Petition of Residents of Hendon,
Declares that the Petitioners oppose the Avanti House School development on Broadfields, Edgware; further that the petitioners note that Avanti House School have identified land between Hartland Drive and Broadfields Primary School for a new school which would accommodate 1,680 pupils and that sport pitches are planned to be placed on green belt land; further that the petitioners do not believe that the area can accommodate this and the proposed school will not actually serve the Broadfields area or even the Borough of Barnet; further that pupils would arrive by cars and buses adding to already congested roads and that the north part of Broadfields is surrounded by green belt land and access is possible via only two roads meaning the area is only able to handle residential traffic. This development threatens to cause traffic chaos and ruin the lives of our local community.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government not to support the relocation of Avanti House School to the Broadfields site in Edgware.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Dr Matthew Offord, Official Report, 21 May 2013; Vol. 563, c. 1200 .]
[P001179]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Education:
Avanti House School is a 1,680 (4-18) all through Wave 2 free school; it opened in September 2012 across two temporary sites in Harrow. Over the past year the Education Funding Agency (an agency of the Department for Education) has been working hard to secure a permanent site for the school. It was hoped that the temporary site at the Harrow teacher’s centre might become the permanent home for the school. Unfortunately the feasibility study found the site to be too small for the whole school.
The number of sites available and suitable in and around Harrow to locate a 1,680 all through school are very limited. In February of this year the site search was widened to include Barnet. A number of sites were identified, including the one at Broadfields. This is the site of an existing school that was demolished and rebuilt on an adjacent plot. The vacant site has D1 planning permission and is being sold by Barnet council.
There are a number of site options being considered for the permanent location for Avanti House; all bring their own relative merits and challenges. We recognise that in this area there are already three other schools and it is a residential area. All schools are required to submit a travel plan as part of their planning application, and this one would be reviewed in detail by the Barnet highways department as part of the proposal.
Free schools have already created a strong track record in successfully delivering innovative solutions to traffic in and around their sites. Sustainable modes of transport are key, as are staggering arrival and departure times.
Any planning application for the Broadfields site will be subject to a detailed scrutiny as part of the public consultation process. All local residents will be notified of this consultation and will be encouraged to share their views on any proposals put forward.