News on planning application for Sevenoaks grammar annex etc

[mystery]

If you look at the planning application online on the Kent County Council you will see that some new documents went on there on 7 May including a letter from Ed Knowles at K C C which is worth a read. I would put the letter content on here for ease but it is a pdf so it is hard to do so. Maybe someone clever can do a link that works.

People who commented on the application originally have a further 21 days to comment again.

The planning application reference is KCC/SE/0375/2013

[mystery]

Anyone out there who understands how you could get planning permission for an as yet unapproved expansion of no school in particular? Or how the dates in the letter mentioned above fit with the announcement from Weald governors that the recent brief consultation exercise did not support going co-ed in order to expand in Sevenoaks?

With planning permission and the council resolution 2 years ago to spend tax payers money building a grammar annex in 7oaks an empty school building could theoretically be built.

It is baffling me.

[JJ123]

Have you seen this Mystery

http://www.sevenoakschronicle.co.uk/Fre ... 5-detail/s" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wonder if its Weald or someone new with proposals ... all very cloak and dagger,transparency would be nice

[JJ123]

http://www.sevenoakschronicle.co.uk/Fre ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sorry other link didn't work ...

[mystery]

I hadn't seen that. Personally I do not believe a word of it. I think the letter which is now in the documents with the planning application was probably referring to the now defunct proposal for Weald to go co-ed but the dates are a bit wonky as the date of the letter is later than the date the chair of Weald govs said the parent consultation said no.

Even if there was another cunning plan in the offing how could it all be done and dusted in time to lay the foundation stone this Autumn? How could mr shilling say that and really believe it? Or does the paper get things wrong too?

That is so strange and worrying if it is true. If councils can start spending millions building schools for which there is no ( as yet? ) proven case and which could sit empty because they do not form part of any approved school it is a bit of a shocker. They do not have the powers to do that. Not any more. Do the people of sevenoaks district, kent and England really want tax payers money to be allowed to be spent that way? You can want a new grammar school and in sevenoaks town even, but wanting a council to be given permission to spend money on building a non-existent school is something else from another world entirely.

[Villagedad]

Maybe the answer is for Knole and Trinity to create and promote an exclusive grammar stream in their schools..

A bit like an 'uber set' or premier league where pupils have to consistently gain high marks to stay in the stream, and pupils can be promoted to / religated from the grammar stream.

It could even only be open to only those who pass the 11-plus to keep it exclusive.

Food for thought or do Knole etc already do this

[doodles]

What annoys me is the closure of the pre school which is on the site. It had only quite recently been refurbished to the tune of £60k 'ish.

[mystery]

It's nothing compared with spending millions on an empty school though! Rather more zeros in those millions!!

[doodles]

True, but the preschool only moved there last year so why allow it to do so. It's not fair on the children involved, oh, but being fair for the children has never mattered has it!

[mystery]

Who did the 60K belong to?