The report was presented by the Senior Planning Officer and in doing so she updated Members advising the application was approved by committee at the June meeting and then referred to the Secretary of State with all matters of principle being agreed.

Members heard a late letter and petition was hand delivered to the Council offices on the day before the last committee meeting. The letter was not received into the Planning Department until after the committee meeting. It was considered correct process that the matters raised, which had not been put to members previously, were brought back to committee as a final decision had not been made as officers were waiting, the Secretary of States decision.

The Committee were finally advised all matters of principle had been agreed by the Committee, and the new matters raised do not promote any factors to change the recommendation which was approval.

Speaker statements were heard from:

• Statement of Objection: Cathy Sisterson, Resident
• Statement of Objection: Councillor Pearce, Ward Member
• Statement of Support: Lee Francis, REAch2 Academy Trust

Councillor Piccolo enquired as to whether it was the Council who put up the notice of applications at sites around the borough. The Senior Planning Officer confirmed it was Planning Officers who did this and in line with procedures photographs were always taken as evidence that the Council fulfilled their duty with site notices.

Councillor Watson commented within the report it stated the trust which is a free school, had its own admission policies. She continued to query how could the Council guarantee then that local children in Aveley and Kennington would be the first to go into that school? The Strategic Lead Education Support Services advised that generally admission policies were based on looked after children, SEN children and then it was likely be catchment children or those that are of a distance.

During the Debate Councillor Watson stated she hadn’t moved her viewpoint since the last time, still thought that the school was in the wrong place for where it should be. She continued by commenting it was on a Green Belt land and at a recent Full Council meeting, a petition had been received from a Ward Councillor regarding the parking down Love Lane.

Councillor Piccolo mentioned he felt it was positive that the committee were looking at supplying school places in the Borough before there were needed, when usually the Council was playing catch up.  He continued to say he was pleased to hear that at present the plan was not to fill every year from day one, but actually for part of the school to remain closed and then when the first entry go in, they move up through the years.

Councillor Polley observed that having been at all three meetings and listened to the discussion that she hadn’t heard anything which had changed her view from previous meetings and for that reason would not be supporting the application.

The Chair proposed the officer’s recommendation and was seconded by Councillor Polley.

For: (3) Councillors Tom Kelly (Chair), Georgette Polley (Vice-Chair), and  Terry Piccolo

Against: (1) Councillor Lee Watson

Abstained: (0)