e-Heron, February 18, 2009
Heathrow Airport Decision
HACAN have issued a helpful newsletter that explains the impact of the decisions announced so far, what happens next and the campaign steps that lie ahead. I have attached this to this email.
Kilmorey Mausoleum Trees, Bats and Open Days
The Trust that looks after this site has issued an update and this follows: All the trees were inspected by the council Tree Officer before Christmas, and he was impressed by their good condition. He has arranged for the branches overhanging St Margarets Road to be trimmed back to stop them hitting lorries, a dead branch will be taken off one of the Lime trees and some fairly radical remedial pruning will be done to the Horse Chestnut tree next to 260 St Margarets Rd because it has grown out of shape following work done many years ago. All the tree pruning should be completed by the end of March, but he was unable to say exactly when.
In common with other parks and gardens across the borough, our Horse Chestnuts now are now infected with both the Tropical Leaf Miner and a virus associated with it. Although our trees are still in relatively good condition, unfortunately it seems inevitable that they will slowly die back over the next few years. The Tree Officer will monitor their condition and we intend to keep them going for as long as possible, finally replacing them with different species which will eventually reach the same sort of size.
Other events at Kilmorey this year include laying woodchip paths/ general maintenance on Saturday 28th February 9.30-1pm, our Open Day on the afternoon of 6th June, a Library Service Activity day for young children in August and the London Open House in mid September. We also hope to run some bat watching evenings, but don’t have final dates yet.
School places dilemma 2009
Our unique and neighbourly area of St. Margaret’s is attractive to young families for every good reason, and the area’s school-age population is on the rise. Despite this popularity, North St. Margaret’s has long held a challenging geographic position with regard to the distance-to-school rule for admission to the area’s primary schools. Families have relied on normal attrition and waiting lists to gain places in years when the schools have been oversubscribed, and we all know families with children currently enrolled in Orleans, St. Stephen’s, and St. Mary’s schools. The local schools have been particularly hard pressed to meet the demand for Reception places in recent years, however. Following a rise of 20% in applications for primary school places across the bureau in a single year (from 2005 to 2006, largely attributed to a rising birth rate), a local bulge class in temporary accommodation has been required for the last two successive years, at Orleans Infant School in 2006/2007 and at the Vineyard in 2007/2008, the latter only partially meeting demand for North St. Margaret’s families. Indeed, the initial Reception intake at our neighbourhood’s nearest infant school, Orleans, did not extend north of the A316 last year, with the exception of siblings. For the coming year 2009/2010 there is an even greater pool of applicants for local Reception places, according to the bureau’s Deputy Head of Commissioning, Delivery and Service Improvement, Matthew Paul, who is responsible for co-ordinating primary school allocations. In particular, the bureau’s local schools drawing greatest numbers of applicants from North St. Margaret’s, i.e., Orleans Infant School in St. Margaret’s, St. Mary’s Church of England primary school in Twickenham and The Vineyard primary school in Richmond, have all seen an increase in applications from last year. Despite this rise, Mr. Paul has ruled out the possibility of any additional bulge classes in the above-mentioned schools, on the grounds that Orleans and The Vineyard already have a bulge class going through, and that St. Mary’s lacks the capacity to add an additional class. Chase Bridge School in Twickenham has also seen a rise in applications from last year’s numbers.
Acknowledging the area’s particular problem with regard to school places, the Local Authority’s recent document, “Consultation on Primary School Expansions Strategy 2009-2013” outlines a strategy to create two all run-through, two form primary schools at Orleans Infant and St. Stephen’s schools, where they are currently infant and junior primary schools, respectively. This would take effect from 2010-2011 with the aim of meeting “additional demand from the St Margarets/East Twickenham area, which in recent years has been the most problematic area of the borough”. Orleans Infant School has signed up to the plan for expansion, which is still under consideration by St. Stephen’s. A decision is expected later this month.
Meanwhile, local parents wait and worry. For those with children seeking a Reception place in 2009, it is becoming clear that a place in a school within walking distance is far less likely a possibility than in years past. An uncomfortable, yet real possibility is that places in a school with poorer outcome measures than the good local schools, at a greater distance from home, and made possible only by the addition of temporary accommodation on site, will be on offer to the children of North St. Margaret’s this year. Could this have been prevented? Can it still be?
Affected families are encouraged to review the document on primary school expansion at the website: www.richmond.gov.uk/consultation_on_school_expansions_strategy_2009-2018.pdf , and/or to contact the Local Authority’s primary school admissions team on Telephone: 020 8891 7588 or m.paul@richmond.gov.uk .
Committee Meeting
The next meeting will be held at 1930 on Tuesday 24th February at 72 Northcote Road. All are welcome to come and join us.
NSMRA Website re-launched
We are re-launching our web site over the next few days and have changed our web address to nsmra.co.uk (note there’s no WWW in the address). The new site will be easier to navigate and to read. Please let us have any feedback.
NSMRA wishes our oldest resident (unless you know better!) a happy 100th
Rosina Caudell, who we believe is our oldest resident, celebrated her 100th birthday on 11th December 2008. In her time she can remember the Great War and later seeing King George V and the Prince of Wales who briefly became King Edward VIII. She has been living in Haliburton Road since 1933 and recently gave an account of the various shops and businesses that once existed in the area. On behalf of the NSMRA, Martyn and Amanda Day, and Hilary Thomson, took Rosina a card and plant. Rosina showed them her splendid card from HM The Queen. Amanda also took some photographs of Rosina to mark the occasion.
Regards,
On behalf of North St Margarets Residents’ Association
Nick Grossman
Chairman
www.nsmra.co.uk Join the NSMRA group and access our discussion boards at www.facebook.com