Brian, your faith in the integrity of politicians is touching. Perhaps now is not the time to drop the bombshell about tooth fairies and Father Christmas.

Was it residents' bickering behind the 11 year period it took to rebuild Downham? Behind the 3 years that have so far elapsed with Forest Hill? Was it bickering that caused the roof to fall in at Downham or the astonishing decision then to be taken a few years later that no maintenance would be undertaken at Forest Hill... so the roof nearly fell in?

The blame for this farce lies fairly and squarely at the foot of Lewisham and Lewisham alone, and they must sort it out.

If that means more funds for some sort of solution incorporating the existing buildings then so be it. More funds beyond those estimated for the "all new" solution would no doubt have to have been found anyway - given their track record on cost control (still less prudent asset management that would have prevented the whole farce at minmum cost) it seems essentially pointless to talk of the cost of this option or the other at this stage in any case.