The Kilburn Times LINKreports that Oakington Manor Primary School has lost the High Court case brought by Brent Council against the school. The school had earlier won a Planning Inspectorate appeal against the Council's order to stop letting the school playground out for car parking on Wembley Event Days. The Council decided to invest its (our) funds in taking the case to the High Court The revenue was used to supplement provision for pupils.
Oakington Manor is now a Multi-Academy Trust with Furness Primary and receives its funds directly from the government rather than via Brent Council. It does however suffer the same funding deficit experienced by all state funded schools.
Declaring an interest as Chair of Governors at Chalkhill Primary School in Wembley I can also reveal that Brent Council took similar action against us and despite our receiving support from local councillors and Barry Gardiner MP, Brent Council Planning Enforcement took action against us. Local primary schools are in effect also part of Brent Council and so we had one part of Brent Council taking legal action against another part of Brent Council - an action that would deprive the school of additional income at a time of budget cuts and increased costs arising from higher pension and national insurance payments.
Chalkhill lost its case with the Planning Inspectorate and decided not to take any further action because of the legal costs involved.
Ostensibly, the Council's case is based on the need to reduce car use and subsequent pollution and traffic congestion in the area. Readers may think it might be more to do with maintaining its own and partners income stream from parking charges.
Not far from Chalkhill and Oakington Manor, the fee-paying Lycee International at the old Brent Town Hall, is letting its car park on Wembley Event Days. Brent Council argue that this is over-spill from official car parking near the stadium which has been reduced temporarily by the building works in the vicinity.
Oakington Manor is now a Multi-Academy Trust with Furness Primary and receives its funds directly from the government rather than via Brent Council. It does however suffer the same funding deficit experienced by all state funded schools.
Declaring an interest as Chair of Governors at Chalkhill Primary School in Wembley I can also reveal that Brent Council took similar action against us and despite our receiving support from local councillors and Barry Gardiner MP, Brent Council Planning Enforcement took action against us. Local primary schools are in effect also part of Brent Council and so we had one part of Brent Council taking legal action against another part of Brent Council - an action that would deprive the school of additional income at a time of budget cuts and increased costs arising from higher pension and national insurance payments.
Chalkhill lost its case with the Planning Inspectorate and decided not to take any further action because of the legal costs involved.
Ostensibly, the Council's case is based on the need to reduce car use and subsequent pollution and traffic congestion in the area. Readers may think it might be more to do with maintaining its own and partners income stream from parking charges.
Not far from Chalkhill and Oakington Manor, the fee-paying Lycee International at the old Brent Town Hall, is letting its car park on Wembley Event Days. Brent Council argue that this is over-spill from official car parking near the stadium which has been reduced temporarily by the building works in the vicinity.