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Save Our School Fields |
Petition from Chris Philp
Croydon’s school playing fields are under threat of being built on by the council. This petition calls on the Labour councillors now running Croydon to remove all references to building housing on school property from their new "Asset Strategy". Building on green spaces and denying children the opportunity to exercise is a terrible idea. Background information is below. Please fill in your details at the bottom and click “done” to sign the petition, and please forward this survey link to your friends and neighbours: www.surveymonkey.com/s/saveourschoolfieldsphilp
Background
On 17th November, Croydon’s new Labour council approved an “Asset Strategy 2014-2019” stating: “A number of school sites have very large playing fields and ancillary land that may be considered excessive for the number of students that attend the school. Where this may be the case the schools will be identified and opportunities considered for development”.
The Labour councillor directly responsible for this matter, Cllr Simon Hall, was quizzed by Gareth Davies of the Croydon Advertiser and said: “What we want to look at is are there reasons to develop on a particular playing field….We’ve gone through the print out of the size of school sites and there are ones that are very big…some are in the south of the borough…some are in the New Addington area, and so on”
On 1st December, Croydon Conservatives tabled a council motion stating that no playing fields should be built on, but Labour councillors voted it down. Then on 3rd December, the Labour Council Leader deleted the paragraph quoted above but left in other paragraphs in the "Asset Strategy" which would still allow building housing on school land.
Building on school fields is an appalling idea. There are plenty of brownfield sites in Croydon suitable for development. What we’re short of is green open spaces.
On 17th November, Croydon’s new Labour council approved an “Asset Strategy 2014-2019” stating: “A number of school sites have very large playing fields and ancillary land that may be considered excessive for the number of students that attend the school. Where this may be the case the schools will be identified and opportunities considered for development”.
The Labour councillor directly responsible for this matter, Cllr Simon Hall, was quizzed by Gareth Davies of the Croydon Advertiser and said: “What we want to look at is are there reasons to develop on a particular playing field….We’ve gone through the print out of the size of school sites and there are ones that are very big…some are in the south of the borough…some are in the New Addington area, and so on”
On 1st December, Croydon Conservatives tabled a council motion stating that no playing fields should be built on, but Labour councillors voted it down. Then on 3rd December, the Labour Council Leader deleted the paragraph quoted above but left in other paragraphs in the "Asset Strategy" which would still allow building housing on school land.
Building on school fields is an appalling idea. There are plenty of brownfield sites in Croydon suitable for development. What we’re short of is green open spaces.
If you would like the council to remove all references to building housing on school land from the "Asset Strategy" to make absolutely sure that school playing fields are safe, please complete the petition below.
I will keep those who sign the petition updated on progress with our campaign and other local issues.
Chris Philp
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Croydon South
I will keep those who sign the petition updated on progress with our campaign and other local issues.
Chris Philp
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Croydon South