Harlow Council leader pledges support for Sir Frederick Gibberd College
Harlow Council / Fri 25th Aug 2023 at 12:39pm
THE LEADER of Harlow Council has pledged to support Sir Frederick Gibberd College following the decision to close the school building as it has been deemed unsafe.
Councillor Dan Swords, Leader of Harlow Council, said: “We were shocked to hear on Monday what has happened at Sir Frederick Gibberd College and our full support is with the school and all those affected.
“The council is not the education authority for Harlow and we have had no involvement in the construction of the school.
“However, we are doing everything we can to support the school at this time.
“As the local planning authority we are working with the school and the Department for Education (DfE) on the delivery of two temporary construction projects on-site.
“This will enable pupils to get back to face-to-face learning at the earliest opportunity.
“Our officers will continue to closely support the school and DfE in the coming weeks.
” As a community leader we are working with the MP to ensure the school continues to get the support it needs from government and the answers the school, pupils and family deserve about how this has happened.”
Alan Leverett
2023-08-25 13:08:14
Planning abd building regulations consent for temporary is required. This could be fast tracked. Make sure that they are constructed properly. Who checked the original scheme that has structural faults. Will their be a legal claim on the original building regulation inspectors for the cost of the remedial works?
DP
2023-08-25 14:22:05
I assume the same people who have said Chris Vince is using this for self promotion will also take issue with this? I can only assume the councillors who said it must be fuming with this councillor?
Mark
2023-08-25 14:42:49
Would it be more useful if Cllr Swords worked with the school rather than with the MP?
View from Afar
2023-08-25 15:14:41
Third paragraph from Dan Sword’s words: “The council is not the education authority for Harlow and we have had no involvement in the construction of the school.“ It’s true but quickly distancing himself and the Council from any responsibility.
Kim Oconnor
2023-08-25 17:43:10
Distancing him self indeed..
Punctuation Pedant
2023-08-25 18:57:39
Its himself….
Margaret
2023-08-25 20:30:53
Bottomline is that this has nothing to do with Harlow Council. Also, Punctuation Pedant is right, Kim O'Connor and spelling/grammar don't walk in the same street.
Dan Long
2023-08-25 21:13:04
You and Robert Halfon should be held accountable for this..you are the leader of Harlow council and Robert Halfon is the MP of Harlow as well as the chair of the education committee.
Mike
2023-08-25 21:54:40
More self-promotion for Harlow Council's own version of Boris Johnson?? His Council may not have anything to do with overseeing the shoddy building work of the school, but his Government and his Department for Education certainly did. Including his own Tory MP Robert Halfon. #CutsHaveConsequences
David Forman
2023-08-26 08:14:49
As the client building the Sir Frederick Gibberd College chose to use a private Approved Inspector rather than the local authority's building control department to ensure compliance with Building Regulations there will be an opportunity to recover losses from the Approved Inspector's professional indemnity insurance. See above explanation and how building control functions were privatised by the Conservatives at https://www.fenwickelliott.com/research-insight/annual-review/2019/liability-approved-inspectors#:~:text=The%20scheme%20of%20the%20private,Local%20Authorities%27%20building%20control%20departments.
David Forman
2023-08-26 10:10:15
In case you wondered why private Approved Inspectors are preferred by building contractors I have the answer. "When taking a straw poll of other surveyors, many seem to agree that the Local Authority Building Control officers have a reputation for being more independent and thorough; for instance, with more on-site inspections than Private Building Control. Contractors may understandably prefer the ‘lighter touch’ of the latter, which can mean fewer and less thorough inspections. This can give obvious advantages to contractors but may not be in the best interests of the client." See article by chartered surveyors https://www.grumittwademason.com/private-building-control-local-authority-building-control/
Stephen Archer
2023-08-26 10:25:01
So it all boils down to....how can we build this as quickly and cheaply as possible, after all a secondary school in Harlow is hardly a prestige project is it?
David Forman
2023-08-26 10:41:40
The Grenfell Tower inquiry exposes Conservative governments' deregulation agenda in the construction industry. Barrister Martin Seaward representing the Fire Brigades Union said: '"the natural result of central government’s deregulatory agenda, which has publicly, and we say recklessly, demeaned health and safety on the principle that business interests should not be fettered”.' See article https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/grenfell-demonstrates-culture-of-non-compliance-in-construction-industry-inquiry-hears-72506
Jasper
2023-08-27 11:50:47
Isn't there a pattern forming here. Shoddy workmanship not being inspected at key stages during construction. Its a bit like repairs to the roads and other infrastructure throughout town. Done on the cheap then doomed to fail. Cheap isn't always best. Pay cheap spend twice
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