Council demolishes Alphington Grammar gates, school vows to fight on

The long-running standoff betwixt Alphington Grammar School and Yarra City Council has escalated, with contractors moving successful past weekend to demolish the school’s beforehand gates and wall connected Old Heidelberg Road – a obstruction the schoolhouse says has protected its students for much than 70 years.

The assembly acted during the schoolhouse holidays to region the structure, which it claims was illegally constructed crossed a disused conception of Old Heidelberg Road that leads towards Darebin Creek.

Council says the determination restores nationalist entree to an country adjoining the Darebin Creek Trail, ending a conflict that began when the schoolhouse fenced disconnected the roadworthy successful 2019.

According to The Age, Yarra Mayor Stephen Jolly described the demolition arsenic a “win for the community”, saying much than 270 submissions to a assembly consultation backed reopening the road.

Pedestrian entree to that portion of the roadworthy done the schoolhouse has ever been imaginable extracurricular of the COVID απαγορευτικό κυκλοφορίας period. Photo: Supplied

He said works would σύντομα statesman connected a pedestrian crossing and plans for a harmless pathway to the Darebin Creek Trail.

“This has been a semipermanent occupation betwixt the assembly and assemblage connected the 1 manus and the schoolhouse connected the other, but it’s implicit now,” Cr Jolly said. “It’d beryllium large to work together to woody with the caller reality.”

But Alphington Grammar main Dr Vivianne Nikou has rejected claims the substance is settled, insisting the schoolhouse is still pursuing ineligible avenues.

In a missive to parents, she said she was “greatly disappointed” by the demolition and accused assembly of acting extracurricular due governance processes.

“The wall and gross were archetypal installed successful 1954 aft the then City of Heidelberg granted the Christian Brothers a licence for the closure of the roadworthy for schoolhouse use,” Nikou wrote.

“Council has present acknowledged that the onshore is successful information Crown land, not Council land. Despite this, they asseverate they still person the powerfulness to enactment under the Local Government Act.”

The schoolhouse argues that assembly had nary authorization under the Road Management Act to rescind the long-standing lease and that its lawyers’ pleas for owed process were ignored.

Nikou besides raised information concerns for students who indispensable present transverse Old Heidelberg Road.

“The School’s lawyers, lone connected Friday, pleaded with the Council not to proceed but to fto owed process proceed to found the ineligible status of the Crown Land. The petition was ignored and the kid information gross was demolished,” Nikou said. Photo: Supplied

“Please remainder assured the schoolhouse is continuing to enact measures to support your children … but parental support and reinforcement will beryllium vital,” she told families.

The school, which is owned by the Greek Community of Melbourne, has accused assembly of refusing to conscionable with its enactment oregon the assemblage to sermon alternatives.

It besides points to much than 4000 signatures collected successful absorption to the demolition, acold outstripping the council’s ain consultation figures.

“Council is prepared to spend some $500,000 of nationalist wealth to statesman works connected opening up a roadworthy that leads to nowhere,” Nikou said, noting that when the Darebin Creek Trail was built successful 2018, the state authorities itself declined to supply a nonstop entree constituent from Alphington, citing information reasons.

While assembly has promised a pedestrian crossing for students moving betwixt schoolhouse facilities connected either broadside of the road, the main said uncertainty remained astir whether a information supervisor would beryllium successful spot adjacent term.

While the gates whitethorn beryllium gone Alphington Grammar says its combat is acold from over.