SIR. I must correct Dan Falchikov and so many others who relate the closure of Tudor School to the current problems of getting a new school in north Kingston.

Allow me to state what really happened, all based on documents which are in the public domain.

The decision to close Tudor School was decided by the council at a special meeting of the education committee on April 10, 1984.

This followed consultation and deliberation that began with a position paper from the then director dated December 1980 (All well before I became a councillor, Mr Falchikov).

The issues that the council faced were: Kingston’s population was decreasing. In 1951 it was 143,545 and by 1981 it had reduced to 131,230.

By 1989 the number of 11 to 15-year-olds was expected to decline still further, by 14 to 18 per cent.

Therefore, supply (school places) was increasingly outstripping demand (pupils on roll).

Both the Government and the Kingston Council’s directorate said the borough could no longer afford such a growing excess of places.

Three years of consultation and deliberation resulted in the decision to close Tudor School.

There were three options: Close Fleetwood, (now Chessington Community College) – but alternative facilities over the border in Surrey were not easily accessed and new housing was due to be built in Chessington.

Close the one school in the middle, ie, Hollyfield – but it was oversubscribed.

Or close Tudor – a reluctant choice, but alternatives were available in Richmond.

Therefore, when the council closed that school it did not “create a shortage”, it reduced an expensive excess.

All this took place 30 years ago, or six generations of 11 to 16-year-olds ago.

Only recently has the Government accepted Kingston’s population has grown again and by so much it is now facing a shortage.

To suggest anyone, in 1984, could have foreseen the population growth we are now experiencing is frankly ridiculous.

To then go on and say, in effect, that in the beginning of the 1980s our council should have sunk 30 years’ worth of Kingston’s own money in case we might need a new school is utterly irresponsible.

I shared a meeting last week with Tony Travers.

He said no one could have foreseen Greater London’s population growth.

Mr Falchikov, I have personally been working with residents and officers since 2000 to justify a new secondary school in north Kingston and ran into the problem that the Government still insisted we had undue excess places.

Latterly, when the Government was willing to listen, the Liberal Democrat administration missed the boat for no other reason than playing party politics.

That continues to anger me, but we continue the fight, and this time with party politics hopefully pushed aside.

I am grateful to Zac Goldsmith for leading the way and opening doors in our approaches to Mr Gove.

Coun Dennis Doe Tudor ward