Under the heading: Shrub End must keep own secondary school (Letters, March 29) I applaud the stance the writer has taken to defend Alderman Blaxill School from proposed closure.

I have always been a staunch opponent of these completely unjustified proposed school closures and I will continue, at every opportunity, to support the vast majority of residents who were completely ignored over their wishes to save the Thomas Lord Audley School.

Perhaps now there has been a change of leadership at Essex County Council there will also follow a more conciliatory attitude towards the people who’s lives are most affected by proposals adopted by the mandarins based in Chelmsford.

In the meantime, we must never give up the fight against these proposed closures.

Which brings me to the point your reader highlighted, praising the stand being made by the Labour councillor on keeping Thomas Lord Audley School School open.

The truth of the matter is the two Labour councillors in Berechurch were in an excellent position some time ago to influence the Labour Government to quash these Tory proposals.

Unfortunately, they failed to do so and also failed to influence their own councillors to oppose these unpopular closures.

Their alternative strategy is now to accept these school closures and work towards having some sort of secondary education on the site of the school after 2015.

To my mind, that is a complete capitulation by the Colchester Labour group towards these school closures, fuelled by their desire to have an academy situated at Greenstead.

In a meeting with town MP Bob Russell, accompanied by Monkwick parent Joe Slatter, Schools Minister Vernon Coaker was persuaded the figures put forward by Essex County Council for these school closures were flawed.

Hopefully these proposals will now be reviewed and a sensible alternative prospectus offered, other than the draconian measures forced upon the parents of these two schools.

None of us can visualise what may or may not have materialised by 2015 and therefore it’s no use wishing with hindsight that you had done more in 2010 to save these school closures.

Rest assured the fight will continue and there will be no sell-out by the Liberal Democrats on matters of such concern.

Colin Mudie
Liberal Democrat
candidate
for Berechurch Ward
Mersea Road