Just who does John Billiet, chairman of governors at St John Fisher's primary school in North Harrow think he is?

As a resident of Cambridge Road, the so-called "foot entrance" to St John Fisher's School, I wonder how Mr Billiet has the sheer audacity to ask parishioners of St John Fisher's Church to copy his draft letter and send it to Graham Jones, the chief planning officer, stating that the only voices being heard, are those who oppose the planning application for the extension of the school (Times Series, November 26).

Let's get a few facts straight. As I understand, there are vacant places at other Catholic schools within the borough and while these places continue to go to waste, I see no need to extend this school. Neither do I feel that there is enough space at present.

All this, combined with the traffic problems which occur in the morning and afternoon of each schoolday, are something that the residents of Cambridge Road, Melrose Road, Kingsley Avenue and Woodlands are finding increasingly intolerable, without the planned extension.

The fact that we contribute to part of the running of this school via our council tax surely gives us some say in the matter.

Therefore, I wonder why Mr Billiet wants to whip up support for his pet project, giving the local residents all this stress and heartache. He obviously wants to educate children in what looks like a cramped and overcrowded environment.

Perhaps he would like children to go back to the "good old days" when schools were overcrowded, having 50 children to a class with little or no space in which to play. If this is Roman Catholic education then I would not want my child to experience it at any cost.

It looks and sounds like a living Hell for all concerned, children, teaching staff and residents. Perhaps Mr Billiet would like to do his empire building elsewhere.

H. Middleton, Cambridge Road,

North Harrow

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.