LIB DEMS CONDEMN “SYSTEMIC FAILURE” AS ANOTHER LAMBETH DECISION RULED “UNLAWFUL”
They want to know who will take responsibility for the growing list of reverses for the Council.
This is the second loss for Lambeth before the Schools Adjudicator in three weeks, following three losses in Court in a 27-day period just before. Efforts ranging from school closures to LTNs to commercial use of parks have all ended in embarrassment.
In November 2024 Lambeth’s Labour Cabinet decided to close Fenstanton Primary School and Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School with modifications, subject to certain conditions being met. The condition was that a viable alternative proposal to amalgamate the two schools was proposed within the agreed timeframe and criteria.
The Schools Adjudicator found that the decision to close the schools was unlawful as it imposed conditions that are “not capable of being imposed.”
The Schools Adjudicator also stressed that the conditions imposed by Lambeth “were incapable of being satisfied.”
In a hard-hitting decision, the Schools Adjudicator has rejected the closure plan, with the effect that both schools will remain open.
Cllr Matthew Bryant, who leads for the Liberal Democrats on children’s services, said:
“Most people recognise that we have surplus primary school places in Lambeth. As a result, some schools may need to join together to continue to provide the highest quality of education that our children deserve.
But bungled decision-taking means that the pupils, parents and staff of Holy Trinity and Fenstanton schools now face a further period of uncertainty.
We believe that a viable school can be created by amalgamating these two schools. We are calling on the Council to work with the schools to make this a reality.”
Commenting, Cllr Donna Harris, Leader of the Opposition Liberal Democrat Group, said:
“In two months, Labour Lambeth has lost three judicial reviews and two rulings by the Schools Adjudicator. This isn’t bad luck. It’s systemic failure. You can’t trust Labour to deliver because the way it does things is unlawful. Failing to consult, ignoring residents, and breaching process time and again. Enough is enough. Claire Holland must get a grip on her Cabinet and her Council. It’s time to take responsibility.”
Notes to Editors:
The Schools Adjudicator’s Determination on the Proposal to close Fenstanton Primary School and Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School, 17 July 2025, is here: