From discussions with the team leading this project the following has been established:
London Councils have identified a need in London for a Secure Children's Home for 24 children betwen the ages of 10 and 17. It will not be a detention centre, where children are held, but a Secure Home where they are placed and a refuge for chldren with severe problems. Currently such children have to be sent elsewhere in England.
All the children's needs will be housed in one place so they will live on a site providing accommodation, education, leisure and sports activities. Parents will be able to visit and the professionals looking after them will also have their offices etc. on site.
The whole site will be surrounded by a 2.4m high fence which will re-use the existing fence where possible.
The London Councils, being led by Barnet, identified 450 possible sites across London and shortlisted 70 with the site opposite the Ice Centre in Lea Bridge Road being their favoured site.
The site was bought by the Government for a new Secondary and Primary schoool but the LBWF Planning Committee rejected it as they did not want it built on Metropoliotan Open Land (MOL). It is now owned by the Department of Housing and Levelling Up. This helps to make it an attractive site financially. The site also meets all criteria as listed on their Web Site.
The current consultation is to inform the community about the proposal and to comment on the design. It is in the early stages of design and many of the details are still to be decided. As it is MOL only very high quality buildings will be allowed and it will have to rewild the area around the buildings and be sustainable. There will be no footpath adjacent to the river as they do not want the site overlooked. More work has to be carried out to identify the flood risk which is 2/3 and the acquifers below the surface. It is not overflow land for flood waters. Thames Water/Environment Agency will continue to need access to the river edge for maintenance.
Construction funding is provided by the Department for Education (DfE) and the site will be run by a non-profit company fully owned by the London Boroughs. It is expected money will be saved in using this facility rather than sending the children out of London to similar facilities. Costs are not yet established as more design work is needed, but the DfE have agreed to fund it, but costs won't be confirmed until the pre-construction phase. It will also need Planning Permission from Waltham Forest, but they are reported to be in favour of th facility.
Discussion with the LVRPA is to take place shortly.
To whom it may concern
London boroughs are leading these proposals using funding from the Department for Education
The proposed residential facility will provide specialist welfare placements for highly vulnerable children with complex needs. Nationally, there is a severe shortage of welfare placements in secure children’s homes, and there is no facility of this kind in London. As well as supporting London’s most vulnerable children, the proposed service will help to alleviate serious national capacity issues.
We are now in a position to share our proposals with the local community for feedback and would welcome an opportunity to meet with representatives of your organisation. If a meeting would be of interest to you, please let me know and I would be happy to arrange a meeting with key members of the project team at a time and place that is convenient to you, either in person or virtually. If you prefer to call me to arrange a meeting, I am also available on 07939 291 562.
We will also be hosting a public consultation event to present our plans to the local community. The event will take place on Wednesday 7th February 2024 from 3pm-8pm at the Lea Valley Ice Centre. Members of the organisation are invited to attend the public consultation event. A copy of the invitation flyer is attached to this email.
Kind regards
Azizun Choudhury
On behalf of the Pan London Secure Children’s Home Programme
