Report is a whitewash

The New School Campaign has criticised the report into delays surrounding the plan to build a secondary school on the Ladywell Leisure Centre site.

The campaigners are angry the scruitny committee report appears to clear Mayor Steve Bullock and his advisers of blame over the delays.

They are also unhappy it has been penned by council chief executive Barry Quirk rather than a more independent figure.

The report entitled Learning Lessons About Building Schools has been published ahead of tonight's meeting of the overview and scrutiny sub-committee.

It states the decison to build a new school at Ladywell was made nearly two years ago, yet the school is not due to open until 2009.

In his analysis Mr Quirk says this "reflects the difficulty in completing a capital project of this nature" and "partly reflects the alterations in the plans over the past few years".

The report goes on to say Mayor Bullock and his cabinet "quite properly followed officer advice and recommendations in full written reports".

The New School Campaign wants to see a new school in the north of the borough and oppose the Ladywell plan.

Campaign secretary John Hamilton said: "This report is a total whitewash.

"The committee questioned Barry Quirk yet he has ended up writing a report of the whole proceedings. It is a case of poacher turned gamekeeper.

"It is not surprising his report finds no fault with the procedures, despite all the amazing cock-ups which have delayed this project."

Elsewhere in the report there is an admission the supply of school places "fails to meet demand" in the north and east of the borough.

It also says the decision to base a new school at Ladywell "was taken reluctantly in the face of worse alternatives".

Lewisham Council has defended the choice of Barry Quirk as report author.

A spokesman said: "The independence of the committee which commissioned this report cannot be questioned."

Councillor Helen Le Fevre, who fronts single-issue party Local Education Action for Parents, says she will pen her own report which will "question the competence of major players in the council".

She is set to submit her views at tonight's overview and scrutiny sub-committee meeting, where Mr Quirk's report will also be discussed.

The meeting starts at 7.30pm and will be held at Lewisham Town Hall.