Royal Park School taken
Tagged as: free_spaces squattingNeighbourhoods: leeds ls6 royal_park
A group of people have taken over Royal Park School to use as a community center! Come and show your support! Bring yourself, food, bedding cleaning materials, and anything that would make the place look pretty!
Royal Park Primary School was closed in 2004 by Leeds City Council. On its closure our community was promised that it would be retained as badly needed community space...Assessment Management ended up choosing the private and highly professional company Rushbond PLC to convert the school into badly neded old age pensioners flat. Funingly enough, it is opposite the busiest, noisest public houses in an area of predominantly young transient population...This fell through eighteen months later. Leeds city council have not yet allowed any assests be transferred into public ownership and questions have been asked in the House of Commons.
You can help in a number of ways!
1. You can become a member of RPCC by attending one of their meetings and joining up.
2. You can help to repair the building - clean it and maintain its grounds- donate food or building materials. Phone Royal Park Primary School on 07910887294
3. Come and sleep over and help maintain building security.
Ace!
Royal Park School
So what’s going on?!
Brief History
In 2004 this school was closed down, since its closure the Royal Park Community Consortium fought a 5 year campaign with Leeds City Council to let Royal Park school be run by the community as a community centre. Although funds were offered and support was shown the school was offered to Rushbond plc, who later backed out of the deal. The school has since lay to waste. In this time Leeds city council had a ‘duty of care’ to the building (they hire security to look after the buildings wellbeing) in this time the school has become dramatically derelict. Under this care 5 months ago the school had the lead from its roof taken off by ‘thieves’, the now leaking roof has led to water damage, we want to stop this school from being beyond repair. We have occupied this building to repair the roof and all that has been broken.
The school is paid for by our taxes and is a community asset that should be utilised rather than let to go derelict – which will result in its demolition (no doubt to make more student flats or a supermarket…) we employ the council, and we as a community own this building.
Our Aim
We need to prove that this school can function as a working space for community groups and individuals. This involves cleaning up the space, repairing what is broken and utilising the working space for the benefit of our community. Everyone is welcome to volunteer their time and help however you can
So what can I do now I’m here?
We need to make the space work so… Repair and make safe any broken windows, make areas child safe, help plumb in sinks and toilets, clean areas that have been vandalised, clear the yard, help with the welfare of those who sleep over, publicise to local community groups, set up your own group or workshop, create publicity for the media (we need to make this a public affair), fundraise for building materials… and the list goes on. We need to get people in using and celebrating the building that we have.
Royal Park School needs to be a friendly, safe and workable environment.
Anything you can bring to the cause is great.
Royal park school is from now a community centre for all to use
We need to use it or we will lose it!
The facilities and space on offer are limitless
If Royal park school is to survive we need to squat responsibly, and get all aspects of the community on board, for this reason we have adopted a no alcohol or smoking rule in the public areas of the building.
If you could please write your details in our ‘book of supporters’ we can keep you in the loop of what is going on, to have your telephone number on hand will help publicise our cause should we get evicted.
Thank you!
eviction
Royal Park occupants have been served legal papers demanding their eviction for a hearing on Monday 23rd November 2009 at Leeds magistrates court, please help in any way you can just by coming to the hearing on Monday as a show of force of people power, fetch banners, placards and make your voice heard, otherwise the building may be lost.
http://www.royalparkcommunity.info/