MAayor Frank Branston has been criticised for failing to attend any of the public meetings held to discuss controversial proposals to abolish middle schools.

A series of six meetings held by Bedford Borough Council finished last week, while the parental pressure group Save Middle Schools will hold the last of its 10 meetings this evening.

Tony Dadd, spokesman for Save Middle Schools, said: "Where is Frank? We are very, very concerned that he doesn't feel it necessary to talk to the people whose children will be affected by this.

"We are concerned that he might not want to listen to them, and that he doesn't appear to be engaging with the people who voted for him to become Mayor of Bedford two years ago."

The council began its consultation on proposals to change Bedford's schools system in April. Children across Bedfordshire currently attend lower school from ages five to nine, then middle school up to the age of 13, and finish their education at upper school.

But most of the country has a two-tier system, with pupils changing schools only once, at the age of 11.

The council is currently taking legal advice on whether the decision should be made by the Mayor and his cabinet, or by a vote of the whole council.

Mr Branston was elected in 2007, before Beds County Council was abolished and responsibility for education passed to Borough Hall.

Mr Dadd said: "When the mayor was voted in he was not voted in with responsibility for education. If he does make this huge decision with just his cabinet he will be voting on something he was never given a mandate for.

"We are very concerned that we still don't know how the decision will be made. This week we wrote to Phil Simpkins, the chief executive of Bedford Borough Council, asking when they would receive their legal advice and when they would let us know what the advice was.

"Without knowing how the decision will be made we can't write to councillors and lobby them."

Mr Branston admitted he had not been to any of the meetings, but said he would "thoroughly" read the consultation document once it is completed by council officers.

He said: "I have not been to the meetings, partly because I have other things on and partly because we have experts like Chris Hilliard, executive director for children's services, schools and families, who are there to answer queries.

"My strong preference is for the decision to be made by a vote of the full council. If that is legally possible, that is the way it will be done."


External links:


Save Middle Schools website

Frank Branston's blog