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COUNCIL CHAIRMAN HANDED MANDATE TO OPPOSE SCHOOL CLOSURE

At last night's Swingfield Parish Council meeting (30 May)  Cllr. Colin Tearle was returned un-opposed to serve a further term of office as Chairman of the council.

Following on from last weeks Parish meeting the Parish Council have decided top oppose the closure of Selsted school.

It was resolved  to be represented at the Kent County Council (KCC) public meeting on the 28 June for the Swingfield councils case against closure to be presented by Cllr. Teale.

As members considered that there would be many unforeseen circumstances that could develop between now and the end of the process the Council decided to give the Chairman a mandate to act ‘ in pursuance of its policy in what ever way he saw fit without reference back to the council’.

During the meeting Cllr. Tearle spoke of the KCC visit to the Selsted School on Friday (26 May). He admitted to being "astonished that the Chairman of Governors was not present, nor anyone representing the Governing body".

"Although there was a teacher representing the head teacher Graham Truss at the visit, I was perplexed that Mr Truss, who was in the school, failed to take part in the discussions," Cllr Tearle said.

The high powered KCC Representatives, County Councillor and Lead Member for Education Cllr. Susan Carey and fellow Schools Organisation Advisory Board (SOAB) member Cllr. Alan Poole with Cabinet Member, jointly responsible for education and school improvement, Cllr. John Simmonds, met with staff and Cllr Tearle at the school on Friday.