The police station in South Norwood, closed by London Mayor Boris Johnson and put up for sale to be turned into flats, ought to be used to provide a new school for the area.
The police station building at South Norwood: the local MP says that instead of being flogged off for flats, the site should be used to provide much-needed school places
That’s the view of Steve Reed OBE, the MP for Croydon North, who has written to the Mayor and to Michael Gove, the education secretary, calling for a re-think over the use of this public site.
“It makes no sense to sell off this public building for housing if there are not enough school places locally to accommodate the children who might one day live there,” Reed said in his letter.
“I am writing to ask you to intervene personally… to ensure that this site is made available for a school rather than sold for private development.”
The police station on Oliver Grove covers 0.63 acres. The present building has five floors and an underground car park. Bids were being sought by the agents, Knight Frank, through the summer, and one buyer’s offer has already been accepted.
According to figures from the council, by 2016 Croydon faces a shortfall of up to 1,560 permanent primary school places – or more than 50 average-sized classes.
Reed’s letter highlights the common disconnect between local authority policy on development, sanctioning a developers’ bonanza for building homes – though rarely affordable family homes much needed in the area – without any insistence on the provision of local amenities to cope with the people who will live in the developments.
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The problem with making such a request of Mr Gove is that, if he pays it any attention, he will possibly see the building as ideal for a free school. I can’t imagine Mr Reed is advocating that.