Tip of the iceberg for families in near future

A complex plan that been a long time coming and hours of officers time in the writing.

The whole process has been complicated over the years due to Eric Pickles MP (central government) doing one thing and local government having to play catch up. The local plan is continuous because some people in rural areas don’t want new houses.

But the local plan must have a provision for extra houses. In my personal view I see a great need for social housing and affordable houses for young couples to get on the housing market.

But I think towns like Banbury and Bicester could be headed for a nightmare scenario that David Cameron’s government needs to have an answer to.

With the exponential growth of houses comes the need for more school places. The Bankside development has allowed for Longford Park Primary School. But it begs the question what about the need for secondary school places for children 11+?

The Banbury locality consists of North Oxfordshire Academy, Warriner School near Bloxham and Banbury School. Hundreds of new houses mean in the near future new secondary schools must be built.

I have had case work that suggests a strain on places in Banbury already with parents facing the possibility of seeing their kids having to travel 15 miles from Banbury to go go to secondary school in Bicester.

My experience as a councillor suggests this maybe the tip of the iceberg for families in the very near future.

Furthermore, when the home to school transport policy was voted through earlier this year at Oxfordshire County Council, was not the reason given ‘send your children to the nearest school and savings to school bus use be found due to austerity cuts’?

That is no use if there are no places at your nearest school in the future. Of course Oxfordshire county council has no control over academy schools.

But I fear that unless you have the money like Mr Cameron’s parents had to send your children to private school like Eton, children will lose that chance for the placement of choice, thus forcing children into any school that will take them, even if that is miles away from their home.

And again the richest in society will enjoy the best chance of a good education for their children.

Cllr Mark Cherry
Labour Party

Today’s letters

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