Meet the Leader of Wandsworth Council Post Reply

[WandsworthCouncil]

The leader of Wandsworth Council, Cllr Ravi Govindia, wants to chat with members of NappyValleynet.com.

He is inviting you to post comments or questions
ON NappyValleyNet - In the GOT A QUESTION SECTION -just hit the
'START A NEW TOPIC' button
and post between now and midnight on Monday (October 10). He will then post replies to as many as possible on Tuesday 11.

You can ask about, or make comments on, schools, childcare, facilities for families or any other issue you like.

This is part of a programme of meetings and online chats called Let's Talk. Find out more at http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/letstalk.

[dancing_queen59]

Do we private message or just post questions here?

[supergirl]

This is a great initiative!

Same question as Dancing Queen though... How do we post?

[Annabel (admin)]

Hi both - glad you think it is a good idea - all Wandsorth Council's idea!

Please post questions in this section -
Just hit the Start a New Topic button and add your question!

Annabel x

[dancing_queen59]

Well I'd really like to know what the chances are of the Belleville school, Forthbridge site allowing applications from people closest to it's actual site to be giving priority over people applying from the Bellvue Road location. It's only fair that with us local residents to the Forthbridge Road site having to put up with extra traffic that we get first priority. It clearly states on the councils website that it is judged on the distance from your home to the school. This should stay irrelevant of whether it's an extension from the original school. I am due to start the application procedure for my sons soon and would like to be able to send them to this school that is only 1 street away from me.

[doleofficedad]

My question: would the leader agree with the following statement? For the sake of some balance on the Forthbridge site issue, it's not 'only fair' that because you live close to the overspill site you get priority access to that building. When this was consulted on some months back, the council made clear at that stage that the need for the satellite site was soley due to demand based on the existing Belleville Road site. Its got nothing to do with Forthbridge Road - that just happens to be where the closest surplus land was situated. So the fact that you live close to the overspill site is irrelevant - the second site could have been anywhere. The distance to home should very much be measured from the original school site on Belleville Road and not the overspill site on Forthbridge. So am not sure why you think its irrelevant that its an extension - its the same head teacher, SLT, governing body, same everything. I don't expect anyone living near Forthbridge Road to accept this for one moment but the fact is that is the reality of why Belleville was expanded - the popularity of the existing school (and not to cater to a small group of parents who happen to live close to where the extension ended up). I would think Wix is your closest state primary, which I believe has received some very good praise elsewhere on this site recently (and is also rightly or wrongly a feeder school for the new Bolingbroke Academy opening next year).

[tamara]

@doleoffice dad

Not sure if the council leader is claiming benefits on the side but if he isn't can you please leave the answering to the leader Please don't take offence but I'd rather hear his reply without the question getting cluttered!

I have a question.

"Do you think charging residents 65 pound parking penalty fines is fair for minor parking offences e.g. staying a few minutes over in another resident parking bay elsewhere in the borough."

To clarify, I am NOT talking about red routes, I am NOT talking about people who are habitually leave their cars without parking tickets for hours at an end I am NOT talking about refusing to buy a ticket.

As a Wandsworth resident, who pays council tax and buys a parking resident permit and buys tickets for other parking zones, I believe the council policy is UNFAIR that I should pay 65 pounds for minor parking infrigements in other residential areas."

10 pounds? Sure.

65 pounds? Outrageous.

[Thankyoutories]

Great initiative.

My question.

In times of economic difficulty, seeing as the majority of children at Belleville or Honeywell, based on their current distance criteria, would get into Chestnut Grove, why are we building a new secondary school?

Depending on the answer, can we ask follow-up questions?

TYT

[livegreen]

Message to Thankyoutories.

Could you please ask a question that is based on fact and not politically motivated!!
Your question is meant to stir up response, which you have again succeeded in doing.
The facts are clear and have been debated at length on this site.
Chestnut Grove Academy serves the hundreds of children leaving the 7 close primary schools to it all based in Balham. It is oversubscribed for the 90 places it offers based on distance.

The 210 children leaving Belleville and Honeywell can obviously not all get in.

[livegreen]

Question to the Leader.

This area has one of the highest percentage of young families in London.
As you are aware this is growing at a tremendous rate as it is a fantastic place to bring up a young family.

My concern is road safety.
What are the chances of making this predominantely residential area a 20mph zone ?

[doleofficedad]

My question to the leader: would he agree that based on pupil projections for the coming years (that show there is a forecast deficit of places) there is a need for a new secondary school in a part of Wandsworth that does not currently have one?

[doleofficedad]

My question to the leader - in these austere times would he consider raising a car tax levy against female drivers who spend their days clogging up the roads around NVN in over sized Chelsea tractors that are dangerous and have no place in an urban environment other than as a snobby status symbol? Tax monies raised could be used in part to subsidise the purchase of cushions for them to sit on so they can see over the steering wheel.

[Thankyoutories]

@livegreen

the thread is about "Meet the Leader".

if it was

"Meet the leader with chippy little comments from people who are so nervous that their school, which took 20 million quid of tax payers money, might not get delayed in austere times and then investigated further and then cancelled", then your comment would be appreciated.

honestly, I put a question forward and the sharp elbowed middle classes try to have it taken off the agenda because they're afraid of the debate.

[dancing_queen59]

Annabel, could we remove Doleofficedads first post please. We were clearly asked to make a post asking questions to the council. I feel he has negatively gone at my question when it was not his place to do so! I want the councillor to be able to answer without other opinions thrown in. Doleofficedad, I am happy to discuss this on another post but you probably are not going to like what I have to say. Your second post is completely offensive to women and discriminatory!

[dancing_queen59]

Annabel, could we remove Doleofficedads first post please. We were clearly asked to make a post asking questions to the council. I feel he has negatively gone at my question when it was not his place to do so! I want the councillor to be able to answer without other opinions thrown in. Doleofficedad, I am happy to discuss this on another post but you probably are not going to like what I have to say. Your second post is completely offensive to women and discriminatory!