The Threat to Our Green Belt at Lake Farm and Botwell Common

We, the undersigned, wish to express our strong opposition to the Council's proposals to build a school on Green Belt land at Lake FarmlBotwell Common. Local residents campaigned for a generation to secure Lake Farm as green belt open space and an award winning country park. The development of this site represents a major incursion into our local green belt, setting a dangerous precedent threatening the remainder of Lake Farm and other green belt sites in the south of the borough. A new school on this site would also cause a considerable increase in traffic and pollution on already congested local roads.

We protest that there has been no consultation with the local community on the need for additional school places, the options available for further expanding existing schools or locating a new school on alternative sites in Hayes and West Drayton . We are calling upon the Council to undertake a full and open public consultation with the local community on a full range of proposals to meet any need for additional school places before any formal decision is taken on the future of the Lake FarmlBotwell Common site.