Wokingham Lib Dems investigate secret Tory proposals to sell off Emmbrook School (Wokingham Liberal Democrats)

Wokingham Liberal Democrats <info@wokinghamlibdems.org.uk>

Wokingham Lib Dems investigate secret Tory proposals to sell off Emmbrook School

May 30, 2003 12:00 AM

Wokingham Liberal Democrats have called for an investigation into the Tory secret proposals to sell off Emmbrook School. Wokingham District Council's Overview & Scrutiny Committee will question Tory Councillors and council officers about the proposals on Wednesday 11th June 2003. This follows the discovery by Liberal Democrat Councillors that Wokingham District Council had in January commenced the process to bid for Government permission to close Emmbrook School, build a new school in Finchampstead and enlarge The Holt, Forest and Maiden Erlegh Schools.

Councillor Tina Marinos (Lib Dem Chairman of last year's Overview & Scrutiny Committee) said, "We want to know exactly how this bid went ahead without the knowledge of the elected Councillors. The Tory leader says that even some of his own Executive did not know about it! Such a momentous proposal as closing Emmbrook School should have been thoroughly debated and discussed with the whole community before such a bid was submitted.

"The Lib Dems know that the Council needs to create more school places for our growing population - indeed it was the Lib Dems who set up the Secondary Education Review to establish just what the needs of the District are. What we are furious about is the secretive way the Tories are going about it."

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee will be meeting at 7.30 p.m. to discuss the Emmbrook School proposals on Wednesday 11th June 2003, and they have asked the Director of Education (Andy Roberts), the Tory Leader of the Council (Cllr Frank Browne), the Tory Executive Member for Education (Cllr Tim Charlesworth), and the Lib Dem Shadow Executive Member for Education (Cllr Beth Rowland) to attend to answer questions.

The meeting is open to the public and there will be a slot at the beginning of the meeting for Public Questions, which have to be submitted in advance. If any member of the public wishes to ask the Overview & Scrutiny Committee a question about the work of the Committee, they can contact Member Services Dept at Wokingham District Council on 974 6000 for information about how to submit their question.