From the Islington Tribune: http://www.islingtontribune.com/news/2013/oct/ashmount-squatters-are-%E2%80%98not-against-free-school-%E2%80%A6if-it%E2%80%99s-really-free%E2%80%99
"THE Town Hall is being accused of deliberately attempting to scupper a planned free school by removing security at former Ashmount primary in Archway, resulting in more than 100 squatters moving in.
Councillor Joe Caluori, Labour executive member for children and families said: “At a time of severe government funding cuts, the council could not afford to keep paying in the region of £40,000 a year to maintain a vacant building which may well be taken from us by the Department for Education.
"Nor do we wish to have to pay for an eviction action, which can be avoided by the co-operation of those on-site.
“The former Ashmount School site remains vacant because of the spectre of a free school hanging over it.
"Despite having 18,000 people on our housing waiting lists we are not allowed to proceed with plans for affordable housing on the site but instead have to wait for the government to decide whether they intend to give the site to private companies pushing for a free school we neither want nor need.
“We have no need for a new school in the north of the borough, but a desperate need for family homes.”
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