Northbrook Action Group (NAG)

It has come to the attention of NAG that ‘chinese-whispers’ have distorted what we stand for. I thought it would be helpful to readers of this blog to clarify what our goals are and, crucially, what they are not. NAG now has a large group of followers. It is inevitable that individuals within that group will have differing opinions and views, including how much they support Northbrook School’s presence, ethos, use of the gardens, Church of England status etc. But, to clarify the NAG is seeking:

* transparency from Lewisham Borough Council

* a dialogue based on effective communication and consultation with LBL

* a dialogue based on effective communication and consultation with Northbrook School

* A new design on the Northbrook site that is: appropriately sized for the space; appropriately designed and built for the space it occupies -entirely bordered by a conservation area; accommodates an appropriate number of pupils for the space available; does not diminish the facilities and amenities of surrounding residents; is sensitive to the wider disruption that its presence might institute (parking issues, road congestion) and does not rely on exclusive use of community resources for its existence (viz park facilities).

We are not against the school being on the site and are not seeking to drive it to another site. We are aware that there is pressure across the Borough for the provision of effective educational space and ‘pushing’ the development elsewhere will not ameliorate this pressure. However, we believe that this development is out of balance with the resources available to it and the community within which it sits. And it is this balance we are seeking to influence in a positive way for all users. �