There is a need for new primary school places across Richmond Upon Thames.  The Department for Education in partnership with the commercial business Bellevue Education Ltd. (as 'Bellevue Educational Trust') plan to open a new free school on a busy stretch of the A316 at Manor Circus. 

The site is unsuitable for a primary school because:

TRAFFIC: It is on a busy, polluted stretch of a 4-lane, red-route, which is a main artery into central London.  There are obvious problems with pollution and road safety if a school for 420 small children is placed there.

SPACE: The site is small and sandwiched between a garage, the main road and a residential street.  There is no suitable outside play space so a playground on the roof with a cage over has been suggested.  

IMPACT ON RESIDENTS NEARBY: There will be no parking available for staff. There is no suitable place for delivery vehicles.  There is no place to drop children off safely in cars (many people can't walk their kids to school).  All of this will create substantial difficulties for residents in the surrounding streets.  It will also be stressful and difficult for parents of children attending the school and school employees.

All parties admit that this was the LEAST suitable site that could be found for a school in Richmond.  But due to a combination of high property prices in Richmond and Government funding restrictions, they are now putting lipstick on a pig in an effort to pass off this site as proper place for a primary school.

Richmond Council, the Department for Education and Bellevue need to find a more suitable site, rather than force this through consultation and planning.