New Willowfield school scrapped

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Two months after pupils exhibited their ideas for the new build PFI Willowfield school, the scheme has today (July 5th) been scrapped by Education secretary Michael Gove. All other BSF projects in Walthamstow were also halted.

FULL LIST OF BSF PROJECTS SCRAPPED (PDF)

While residents were concerned at possible plans for housing above the school and about proposals to create a rat run around Edward & Hawarden Road, the general feeling towards the project seemed positive. This was especially the case among parents with children currently at the existing overcrowded building.

Back in November Willowfield applied for £182,000 LAA funding “to create a hub within the school to develop a dual use performing arts and film centre for use by the school and wider community“. Details on the Performing Arts & Film Centre proposals (PDF)

The new school has suffered numerous frustrating delays, with the planned September 2011 opening date slipping again last month to 2013 at the earliest.  Were it not for the councils hideous mismanagement and incompetence the school would be well on the way to completion by now and would have missed the  cuts.  A good example being that its still unclear whether Waltham Forest Council ever actually purchased the land (the old goods yard and industrial area between Blackhorse Road Station, Hawarden Road and the Douglas Eyre Playing Fields) from the previous developers despite having over 2 years to do so.

Before Wilowfield, developers had proposed a series of tower blocks upto 23 storeys high, but those plans came to nothing in the face of well organised opposition from residents (and the housing slump).

The cancelation of the expanded 1000 pupil Willowfield at Blackhorse Road is another blow to any hope of regeneration for the area. A ten year grand scheme was announced 6 years ago, promising redevelopment, access to reservoirs, a waterfront park, a new centre by the station, jobs and of course lots of housing. So far the 10 year plan has delivered the closure of St. James Street Library, the bridge at Tottenham marshes and a little used bypass road round the back of the Standard music venue.

The goods yard site will in all likelihood now sit empty until the housing market picks up enough to potentially tempt another build ‘em high, pack ‘em in merchant.

Speaking to the Waltham Forest Guardian, Eve Wilson, headteacher at Willowfield School said she remains positive and hopes a Government spending review in October will see some projects allocated cash.

She said: “We’ve been working on our project for a long period of time and for the last few weeks we’ve been designing the building and have been getting quite excited.

“I’m still quite upbeat as I don’t think the projects stopping means they have been cut.

“All the projects will be reduced on a case by case basis and the aim here is for the school to become 50 per cent bigger and the Government can’t do without the expansion, there won’t be enough places.”