Date: 3rd November 2009

  Labour Motions to Save St. John’s and Ridge Meadow

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Medway Labour Group is calling on the Cabinet to change its mind and save two much-loved schools they have earmarked for closure in the past few weeks.
The schools, Ridge Meadow Primary in Wayfield and St John’s Infants near Chatham Station, are due to close at the end of August despite overwhelming public support and a lack of evidence from Medway’s Tory-run Council to support the decision to close the schools.
There will also be around twenty public questions from the schools campaigners.
Cllr Bill Esterson will propose one of the motions to save the schools and said,
“The only councillors to have voted so far on the future of Ridge Meadow and St John’s are the 10 members of the Tory cabinet and members of Overview and Scrutiny. These proposals are of such huge public interest that we believe the whole Council should have its say.”
“The Tories claim they closing the schools to get rid of surplus places, yet at St John’s there are only a handful of surplus places. The Tories claim they are closing schools to improve standards, yet the standards at Ridge Meadow are better than those at some of the neighbouring schools and there are other schools in and near Wayfield with similar levels of surplus places.”
“These proposals are flawed and should be thrown out. All councillors will have their chance to show whether they are with local people or against them by how they vote at the council meeting.”

ENDS

For further comment please contact Cllr Bill Esterson on 01634 892773, or Mobile 07976 628730.  Alternatively contact the Group office on 01634 332393.

Notes to Editor

1. The other councillor to propose the motion will be Cllr Vince Maple