Andrew Dismore

Youtube video comes to light, proving Dismore right.

 A Youtube video of the Barnet Council planning committee hearing into the Ark Academy confirms complaints made by Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden Andrew Dismore about the committee presentation of Programme Director for Education and Learning, Val White.

Mr Dismore has previously written to Barnet Council Chief Executive John Hooton to complain that Ms White brought arguments into the hearing that were unlawful in planning grounds, as she had indicated that Barnet Council would have to pay for additional school places instead of the Department for Education.

In the video, Ms White introduces her remarks saying:

‘Thank you chair, my name is Val White, programme director for education and learning.

‘{slide 1} The first slide shows and sets out the need for secondary school places across the borough. You’ll see on the right-hand side forms of entry are basically classes of 30, so by 2022 we are projecting that we will need around 22 forms of entry; that’s the equivalent of 3 or 4 secondary schools in the borough. The proposal for tonight is for a 6-form entry school and that’s funded entirely by the Department for Education, which represents an investment into the borough of infrastructure of around £30 million. These are the costs that the council would need to find if this proposal doesn’t go ahead.’

Mr Dismore said:

 ‘This is a very serious error. The financial implications of refusing or approving a planning application are completely irrelevant in planning law, and those comments should not have been made. Given the planning approval was won by one vote, this could well have been a deciding argument in the minds of some committee members. I have drawn this to the attention of the Chief Executive as I believe this renders the whole decision unlawful and at risk of judicial review.

‘This is yet more woe for the Capita-run planning department. They should have advised Ms White that her comments would be inadmissible and were irrelevant and unlawful on planning grounds. They are a total shambles, and Barnet will need a new administration next year to clear up the mess.’

ENDS

Notes:

• Andrew Dismore is the Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden
• Correspondence between Andrew Dismore AM and John Hooton can be read here.
• Youtube video of the presentation by Val White can be found here.