GREENWICH Council has been accused of "deceit" and "disrespect" after failing to start work on five schools.
As part of the Government's Building Schools for the Future programme (BSF), Greenwich Council told residents it would rebuild The John Roan, Thomas Tallis and Crown Woods schools by the start of the new school year.
It also said it would refurbish Eltham Hill and Plumstead Manor schools by the same date.
But as this photo of Thomas Tallis school in Kidbrooke Park Road reveals - not a single brick has been laid.
Sixteen other councils started BSF projects at similar times, and they have all started construction work on their schools with Lewisham Council completing work on two.
But Greenwich has yet to start building and the delay has triggered mixed feelings.
Thomas Tallis parent, James Muirhead, 55, of Kidbrooke Park Road said: "The school needs renovating but the quality of teaching is more important.
"Good teachers could teach in an open field, but I guess they might leave if they are working in a horrid building.
"The delay will be very frustrating for parents - but I have not been looking forward to the bulldozers coming down my road."
However Greenwich Conservatives leader, Councillor Spencer Drury, says there is no excuse.
He said: “The only thing they have done is to erect a hoarding around Thomas Tallis, paint the hoarding in Greenwich Council colours, and not even clear the site to start work.
“I feel this is deceitful and disrespectful to the people of Greenwich.
"The education of hundreds of children is being put at risk by the incompetence of this council."
Three years ago Greenwich Council said work on all five schools would be complete by September 2009.
But it has now confirmed it will be focusing on rebuilding two of the schools in the near future, Thomas Tallis and Crown Woods, and that even they will not be finished until the 2010/11 school year.
Cllr Roberts told News Shopper: "There have been significant challenges.
"These include the need to decommission a gasometer before we can proceed with the new site for The John Roan, and the need for flood alleviation measures at Thomas Tallis."
- BSF start date: October 2004
- Number of schools to be rebuilt/refurbished: 16
- Construction started: August 2007
- Schools completed: 2
- BSF start date: October 2004
- Number of schools to be rebuilt/refurbished: 5
- Construction started: Not yet started
- Schools completed: 0
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