Campaigning for a secondary school for Knebworth, Woolmer Green, Datchworth, Oaklands & Codicote

This weeks homework!

In order to get an accurate idea of what we can create as a community, it is necessary to get some accurate quotes and that is what we are working on currently.

We need to work out what it may cost to build an underpass below the railway if necessary, plus the build costs of houses, both affordable and not as planning policy guides us on what percentages are necessary. There is also the amenities to supply to the site and local infrastructure to factor in. A huge amount of information to collaborate.

If we could get a feasibility study commissioned we would be very excited, as that would be an independent study examining the funding requirements in detail. It would also investigate the hurdles that need to be crossed and how to best overcome them to the benefit of the community.

It may not be the most exciting part of the vision for our school and villages, but an important part of making it happen!

Enjoy your day!
Jules

Well this has been quite a week for a busy mum of three who used to be a child-minder! Firstly we had the Woolmer Green open evening for anyone to come along, meet us and find out about the campaign.  We had said we would be there from 8 to 10pm but we were full by 7.40! It was great, although very busy evening, with lots of questions asked and some great options and points raised. A very positive evening with plenty of encouraging feedback!

Then Wednesday we had the Parish council Meeting in Knebworth –  where I have lived for the past ten years. The meeting’s agenda was for the LDF to be discussed, and then the We Need a School Campaign was invited to present and the chairman would host a short question and answer session.

Things got somewhat out of hand as residents local to the proposed site had justifiably come to air their views. I was quite shocked as I would much prefer to discuss how we can adapt our plans to work together as a community to get the community benefits we all want.

Hopefully in the future there will be a more suitable forum for everyone to come together as a community and decide what they would like. If the location of the the school isn’t a problem but the location of the proposed houses is then  lets look how we can change it.  If some people feel we need to include other community  facilities then lets see how we can make it happen.

We just need positive dialogue, so we can work it out. It must be better than just letting houses outside of our control be built and the community not benefitting!

Some very interesting points were raised at the meeting, we realise we need to check the funds required, and make sure our idea is viable and we need to look what happened in Wheathampsted. When the residents were given a new secondary school it closed 20 years later – where has that left the residents now? What really happened? We will research and the results will be published on the site!

There were also other questions: effects on public transport, the current local primary schools and more… Keep checking our website as we research these necessary points.

We know there are hurdles, but as a community, if we can discuss this project with an open, positive dialogue then maybe we can find a way to usilise the funds on offer to improve the quality of life for all of us.
I have not heard a similar opportunity to enable our society by using village profits and I hope we decide to work together and enrich our lives!