Strike action could be planned over an academy in Wembley, a teachers’ union rep has warned.
Teachers and residents have been fighting proposals to build a new school at Wembley Park Sports Ground since the project first arose, cllaiming one is needed in the south not the north of the borough.
Hank Roberts, of Wembley Park Action Group, represents Brent at the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and warned strike action could be one of a series of tactics used in an effort to derail the project.
He said: “We will have a dispute with the local authority. Brent is the employer and it is doing something that the schools and members don’t like or agree with.
”Therefore it’s a completely legitimate case for a dispute.
“It’s better for parents to have some disruption for a short while then have their education for their kids permanently disrupted by being taken over by people whose long term interest is making a profit out of it.”
Mr Roberts has organised a series of high profile protests in the past which have seen him illegal occupy the sports ground, in breach of an injunction ordering him off the site.
He has also taken Brent Council to judicial review but the case was thrown out by a High Court judge.
He says he plans to mount another legal challenge if planning permission is given for to build the school but said if that fails he will look to ballot members for strike action.
He said: “There will be court action against them and we are not going to stop fighting this. The whole academy programme is in serious trouble at the moment.
“All over the country there are protests going on.”
Mr Roberts has in the past recieved vocal support from NUT president Bill Greenshields who has attended protest meetings, praising the group for their attention grabbing stunts.
Over the summer supporters camped out on the site and Mr Roberts chained himself to a flag poll by putting a bicycle lock round his neck.
Today’s comments came at an exhibition held by the people behind the project in an effort to explain their proposals to residents.
The architect, builders, Brent Council officers and a representative of children’s charity ARK all turned out to explain the plans for Ark Academy.
If the counil gets planning permission, the school will have primary, secondary and sixth form blocks.
The plans include a full size pitch with state of the art astroturf, along with a smaller grass playing field, and one will have flood lighting.
There will also be outdoor basketball courts and a multipurpose sports area for games like basketball, netball and tennis.
The school will have an indoor sports centre with space for sports like netball.
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