After the Elections in 2010 ?

We noticed with interests the Leader of the Council's comments at the last full Council meeting that there will be no increases in the Special Responsibility Allowances until after the next local election in 2010. But what else is waiting until then? Firstly there is there new swimming baths originally promised in the Conservative manifesto of 2002. Then there is the rebuilding of Clockhouse School. The start of this was promised for 2011 but our information suggests that the cost of a complete rebuild would take the whole of one year's schools' capital budget for the whole of Havering.

And now the long awaited review of secondary school provision has been delayed until after May 2010. We know from the primary review of six years ago that numbers of Havering children entering secondary schools are falling. At present numbers are being kept artificially high by importing pupils from outside the borough. We do not know for how long this will last.

And yet the Council has agreed to proceed with a scheme to build a new academy on Harold Hill without having any real idea of the projected numbers over the next few years. The capital cost will be provided by the Government but the cost of maintaining empty places subsequently will have to be met by the schools' budget.

Joe Webster
Mawneys Team