The Education Convener, Councillor Liz Fordyce, has declined to divulge what she considers to be a "confidential letter" between Dundee City Council and Scottish Government. The letter she refers to is the Council's application to Scottish Government, dated 4 August 2009, for dispensation from the minimum government regulations regarding the size of site and provision of playing fields, and relates to the Council's £10.3m project to build new schools in the West End of the city, on the site of the former Harris Academy Annexe on Blackness Road.
Councillor Fordyce had previously said in May 2009 that "there is no absolute need...to provide them with a playing field as part of the facilities of the school." She has today advised that she does not feel it is a good thing to "waste people's time or council resources."
It is unfortunate, then, that the Council has spent 6 months of public funds and Council resources repeatedly assuring parents, elected members and church representatives that the proposed site for the new schools was big enough and there would be adequate recreational/outdoor space, and that this had been "confirmed by Scottish Government" (Report 274-2009 to the Education Committee, 11 May 2009), but has now determined that it is no longer certain of this.
Some might consider that to be a waste of people's time and council resources!
Let's hope that the Chief Executive Designate will review this decision to withhold the letter and in the spirit of openness and transparency, offer up the Council's application for dispensation to public scrutiny.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
It is not up to Liz fordyce to decide what the kids should and should not have. All the other new builds have playing fields, so why does she feel my children are not deserving of the same.
ReplyDelete