Evening Standard from London, Greater London, England • A29

News Wednesd 14 Febr 2018 29 Protest: children and parents march to support Bullers Wood Boys school being built 2,000 ght to get school approved before secondary places deadline TWO thousand parents and children are fighting to get a new secondary school approved just weeks before pupils are allocated their places. Plans for Bullers Wood school for boys were approved by Bromley council but turned down at the last minute. It left parents scrambling to find a temporary site so the school can still open its doors in September. If they fail to find another site before March 1 when secondary school pupils are given their offers the 180 boys who applied for places will be forced to go elsewhere. Mother of four Nancy Lengthorn, leading the campaign to build the school, said the fight has united the community.

She said: are 2,000 people on our online support page, and 1,000 people recently marched to support the building of the school. have mobilised the whole community. We have pulled together 12 other options for temporary The school would be set up as a free school run by and next to the existing Bullers Wood School for Girls in Chislehurst. The new school had been given planning permission, but the decision was reversed after more information came to light about the impact it would have on traffic. The council was able to reverse its original decision to approve the school because the legal documents had not been signed.

An initial planning application to build the school was turned down in October 2017, and taken to appeal. In the meantime, a second application was approved. But then the results of the appeal raising concerns about traffic safety and congestion came through. This meant the second, approved application went back before councillors, who narrowly rejected it. Mrs Lengthorn said: is now more than being just about a school.

about a community being tired of being represented by the pale, male and stale of Bromley More than 1,400 supporters have taken part in two marches from Bromley civic centre to the site of the proposed school. They said there will be a shortfall of 2,600 secondary-school places in the area by 2022. Mrs Lengthorn added: school is an outstanding, inclusive state school which delivers better results than our local, private schools. a no- brainer to find ways to extend Peter Fortune, executive councillor for education, children and families, said whatever happens, all boys will be offered a place at a Bromley school. Anna Davis Education Editor Locals lose 9-year battle against rail hub Jonathan Prynn Consumer Business Editor A NINe-yeAr campaign by residents against a planned London rail has suffered a huge blow after councillors backed it by a single vote.

Barnet planning committee voted six to five to approve the scheme for a freight transfer site for aggregate and building materials at edgware road, Cricklewood. Supporters of the plans, submitted by DB Cargo, say it will take hundreds of heavy trucks off the roads. However, Labour councillor Lia Colacicco said: have put so much time and energy and emotion into fighting for the health and general quality of life of their community. The public have been treated as stupid. They know a consultation from a Pr exercise.

After nine years fighting for this, it was heartbreaking to see the disappointment of Transport campaigners welcomed the decision and said it would allow construction materials needed for the £4.5 billion Brent Cross regeneration to be transported into London by rail. The Campaign for Better Transport said: the rail terminal, building 7,000 to 8,000 apartments would not be viable as construction materials would have to be delivered by HGVs with all the associated congestion, pollution and safety impacts. each train into the terminal will remove up to 85 HGVs from road The vote divided on party lines with Conservative councillors who run the borough voting in favour and Labour voting against. The scheme still has to be approved by Mayor Sadiq Khan, but a council spokeswoman said he had indicated his support. She said fears that HGVs would use local streets were unfounded because they would only be allowed to use the A5 edgware road.

It is hoped the facility will be completed by the end of this year..