Conservative members of the Planning Committee vote against pupil safety and school security. (Reigate Liberal Democrats)

Reigate Liberal Democrats <info@reigatelibdems.org.uk>

Conservative members of the Planning Committee vote against pupil safety and school security.

July 22, 2004 10:10 AM

At the recent meeting of the Planning Committee - 21st July - Conservative members voted against pupil safety and school security by allowing any members of the public to continue to walk through the school grounds. This was in complete contradiction to the advice from Planning Officers, as well as the wishes of the Local Education Authority, the school governors and parents.

Reigate Priory School Chair of Governors, Pam Hutchinson gave an impassioned speech in favour of the application. Councillor David Pay, who is on the Priory Museum Committee and recently asked for the school to be closed down and turned into a museum or a library, stood down and deferred to a substitute so that he could speak against the application.

Does the unusual appearance of the Leader of the Council - Joan Spiers - at the meeting have anything to do with the outcome?

The application will be reviewed again at a future planning meeting.

See letter from Jane Kulka (Reigate Lib Dem Prospective Parliamentary Candidate) "Conservative Councillors are willing to compromise the safety of the children and the security of the school grounds" and.also News article "Close Reigate Priory School" says Tory Councillor.