“For ten years, my client has had an investment in the future of Ilford and, the next minute, you take it away from him and give it to a developer recently arrived in the borough.” The developer said it had had “extensive conversations” with the building’s owner over the last two years but said the dispute was “not a planning consideration”. They added that they had discussed acquiring the land through the council’s Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) powers if necessary, “essentially safeguarding that land for a school”. The council’s education department is currently advising the Department of Education to halt plans for two new schools in the borough, as decreasing class sizes threaten existing schools’ finances.