Tories walk out of council meeting as bid to debate ‘autistic school’ closure is shut down

By Charlotte Lillywhite, Local Democracy Reporter

Opposition councillors walked out of a Wandsworth council meeting after accusing the administration of blocking debate on plans to close a residential school for autistic children.

The council is consulting on plans to shut Bradstow School in Broadstairs, Kent, which it owns, over mounting financial pressures.

Wandsworth Conservatives tabled a motion at the meeting urging the Labour-run council to keep the ‘rare and highly-specialised’ school open.

The motion called on the administration to work with school leaders to set up a sustainable operating model for the school, which it described as vital for vulnerable children.

But a row erupted as Conservative councillors claimed the motion had been placed too far down the agenda to be debated by the meeting’s 10pm cut-off time.

Despite the opposition’s calls to move the motion up the agenda, Labour councillors voted to prevent the debate being brought forward.

Conservative councillors slammed the move and walked out of the meeting less than 25 minutes in.

Councillor Aled Richards-Jones, leader of Wandsworth Conservatives, said: “There are limits. We’ve tried to engage, we’ve tried to compromise, but the reflexive attitude of Labour is always just to shout us down.

“This is a sham meeting. Labour are abusing their majority to silence us on an important issue.”

He added: “The residents who sent us here tonight did not send us here for this. With deep regret, I’m afraid we can’t participate further in tonight’s meeting.”

The motion was considered at the end of the meeting, two hours and 19 minutes in, by the remaining Labour councillors.

Labour councillor Kate Stock said she was ‘disappointed’ opposition councillors had walked out, which meant the motion was automatically withdrawn and could not be debated further.

Councillor Stock added: “Our ambition here in Wandsworth, to make it clear, is for every child with special educational needs to have their needs met and receive the best possible care.

“We’ve committed to supporting children locally, keeping them educated and cared for as close to their family and community wherever possible.”

The council agreed to begin the statutory process to shut the school in December, which includes a requirement to consult on the plans with the public. The authority will decide on whether to proceed with the closure after the consultation ends on February 16.

The council inherited the school in 1990, after the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) was abolished. The school provides accommodation during term-time for autistic children with complex needs aged between five and 19 years old.

Ten local authorities use the school, which currently has 27 boarders and six day pupils. Fourteen of these 33 students were placed there by Kent County Council (KCC), while Wandsworth has four children there.

Pictured top: Conservative councillor Aled Richards-Jones at last week’s meeting (Picture: Wandsworth council)