Writing to local schools for support

I wrote to Head Teachers at Barely Lane, Eastcourt, Goodmayes Primary, Chadwell Primary & Mayfield earlier today

Dear Head Teachers

I can imagine you are very busy to say the least with coronavirus issues, however, I would be grateful if you could consider adding this subject to your next governing body agenda.

At the end of this email is a recent email to me by Anna, a planning officer at Redbridge Council. Anna has been be copied in should you wish to write to you.

Anna informs me that on 19.11.19 Redbridge Council wrote to 4,502 properties regarding the Tesco application. My understanding is that this was part of the formal consultation process inviting residents to comment on the application.

These four schools were among 4,502 properties written to.

Eastcourt Independent School; Mayfield School; Chadwell Primary School; and Goodmayes Primary School.

Barley Lane Primary was not on the list of schools written to by Redbridge Council. This appears an omission which I asked Anna to correct earlier today, as yet I have not had a response. 

Redbridge Council planning department say they have do not have a statutory obligation send schools the attached air quality report dated October 2019 regarding the proposed development. Regardless of whether or not this claim is correct, the Council had/have a moral duty to send schools the report which states at page 24 that there will be a "slight impact on the local NO2 concentrations as the change in concentrations due to the development is 0.8%" at receptor A. The report continues with the claim that the overall is less than 0.5%.. Bearing in mind NO2 is a toxic gas damaging to human health, I have copied in Cllr Athwal in the hope he will intervene to say the attached air quality report of 2019.

I draw your attention to page 12 of the air quality report which states Chadwell Primary has monitoring results over the safe NO2 limit for last three years of published information. Redbridge is rightly concerned about the damage road pollution does to young and vulnerable lungs and as a consequence is closing roads at some schools to protect child health per Road closure

All school children in Redbridge should breath clean air and it is unfair that some Redbridge school children are set to breath better quality air while our local children are set to breath worse air as a consequence of over development. Redbridge Council have been very keen to publicise the benefits of road closures to child health, so it must be right that they also inform schools the threat that over development brings to child health. Earlier today Anna informed me that the Councillors who will sit on the planning committee making the decision will not be sent the October 2019 report 

Not only is the Tesco development a threat to our well being, two further major developments nearby are planned. The Homebase site is planned for an unknown number of homes per https://www.hellogoodmayes.co.uk/contact-us/ and the Seven Kings Car Park https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/media/7201/seven-kings-27-sept-2019-planning-poster.pdf

At the June Redbridge Council cabinet, I asked Cllr Athwal to commission a report into the impact of so much development on our community. I am delighted to report Cllr Athwal agreed to do this, however since then, no detail about the report has been published, ie, the developments in question and the pollutants which will be measured. I have resorted to a freedom of information request to find out what is going on with the report and along with others had a letter in the Recorder on the subject today.

I would be grateful if your governing body consults with your proposals and makes a representation in due course. Although the formal consultation has ended, Redbridge Council is still taking late objections and appears to be doing so until at least two before the hearing date. The hearing is not due until September at the earliest. 

I attach a campaign leaflet showing a range of support for the campaign across the political spectrum, including the Labour MP Sam Tarry and the Conservative member of the GLA Keith Prince. Our crowdfunding appeal for our own air quality report hit the £1000 target yesterday and I will send you the report later this month.

A petition calling for local schools to be monitored for NO2 pollution is at the link petition

Regards

Andy Walker

120 Blythswood Road

IG3 8SG

Anna's email to me below

Letters of notification were sent out to some 4,502 properties, covering all premises in a 0.5km radius from the application site on 19.11.19.  These include letters of notification sent directly to Eastcourt Independent School; Mayfield School; Chadwell Primary School; and Goodmayes Primary School.  A notification letter was not sent to Ethel Davis school – this school is located some 1.4km (0,87miles) away from the application site. Letters of notification of the application dated same were also sent to the three Ward Councillors.  Eight (8) statutory site notices were posted 26.11.19 in the vicinity of the site. A press advert advertising the application appeared in the 05.12.10 edition of the Ilford Recorder.   The notification letters, press advert and site notices clearly indicate where plans and documentation for the application can be viewed [the Council’s website].