Good news about the proposed amalgamation of MaltbyHall Infant and Lilly Hall Junior Schools …

From concerned Maltby residents :

“Following consultations between the Department for Education (DfE) School Organisation & Competitions Unit and RMBC Legal Section, it has been established that it is necessary for RMBC to re consult on the proposal to amalgamate Maltby Hall Infant and Lilly Hall Junior Schools. This is because the original consultation and approval was given to amalgamate the two schools on the Maltby Academy site as part of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) Programme. As the BSF programme was withdrawn in Rotherham, the new proposal to amalgamate is classed as a ‘significant change’ due to the change of location of the proposed Primary School to the Junior School site.
A public announcement was made in the Rotherham Record dated 2.5.12 and copies of the complete proposals can be obtained by telephoning Helen Barre on 01709 382121 ext 54831. The proposals are also available on the Authority’s website at: http://www.rotherham.gov.uk.
This means that there is a window of opportunity to re-object or make new comments on the proposals by sending them before 8 June 2012 to:
Joyce Thacker, Strategic Director,
Children Young People’s Services,
Riverside House, Main Street,
Rotherham, S65 1AE.
joyce.thacker@rotherham.gov.uk
As you are aware some of the issues that the amalgamation present include:
· Increased road congestion from additional staff cars and greater numbers of parents parking on Lilly Hall Road for longer periods; increase is circa 24 staff cars and 100 parents cars;
· The subsequent impact on pedestrian and road user safety at busy periods;
· Noise pollution and loss to amenity of residents by building the noisiest part of the development 4.5 metres from neighbours’ small gardens;
· Noise, privacy and security issues created by the new access pathway resulting in the region of 3000 people per week passing within 1 metre to the rear of residents gardens and sandwiching them between similar numbers passing the front of their properties;
· Privacy issues due to the location of the 2nd storey extension and directional facing of staff room windows;
· Lack of public consultation and total disregard for residents concerns.
Whilst we understand that the current situation of primary education being on two sites may not be the educational preferred option, it is surely incumbent on the local authority to listen PROPERLY to concerns of local residents. After all they are the ones who will have to live with the consequences, NOT the education department, NOT the architects, NOT the planners, NOT the staff who park their cars on local roads, NOT the people who park their cars as they deliver their children to school. We understand that the schools are in need of modernisation, that is not in question, but at the end of the day both Maltby Hall Infant and Lilly Hall Junior Schools have a proven track record of delivering excellent education across 2 sites, that has been proven over many years where both schools have operated separately and successfully. We all want children to obtain a good education, and ideally if that could be on one site for cost efficiency that may be the preferred option. However, in this case the fact remains that the site for the proposed amalgamation is just not big enough to accommodate the numbers nor infrastructure that is required. The only way they can squeeze this quart into a pint sized pot is by destroying trees, wildlife, significantly impacting local resident’s privacy and amenity, causing significant traffic congestion and road safety issues, all of which are too big a price to pay and demonstrates negligence of all of those concerned.

We once again ask Maltby Town Council to use this second opportunity to support local residents by actively raising objections over these ludicrous proposals that to date have been bulldozed through by RMBC and people who seem to forget or just ignore that there is a local community who will have their environment severely changed but yet continue to plough ahead regardless of the impacts on Lilly Hall Road and Cliff Hill residents and most importantly road and traffic safety issues .
We await your reply with interest.
Yours sincerely,
Keith & Elizabeth Blackburn
5 Lilly Hall Road
Maltby
Rotherham
S66 8AT ”

WELL DONE KEITH AND ELIZABETH !

LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE MALTBY TOWN COUNCIL AND ROTHERHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL  – YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY NOT  YOURSELVES !