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Ashmount School in Archway |
Rebuild or renovate school? It’s a decision for new mayor
Architects reject Town Hall demolition plans and favour refurbishment
PLANS to rebuild a dilapidated but “architecturally important” primary school in Archway were in disarray this week after it was revealed that the London mayor could ultimately throw the entire scheme out.
Lib Dem-led Islington Council wants to rebuild Ashmount School – where children and staff complain of being too cold in winter and too hot in summer – on open land in nearby Crouch Hill at a cost of £6 million.
The development would be paid for by the sale of the existing school site in Hornsey Lane for private housing.
But a leading team of architects appointed by the Town Hall has contradicted the council’s own planners by confirming that, rather than needing to be rebuilt, the school could quite easily be refurbished.
The firm maintains the work would remedy problems of cold and overheating without damaging the school’s historic features.
Now, because land classed as metropolitan open space – of which there is a shortage in the area – is earmarked for the new school site, the London mayor, whoever is elected on May 1, will make the final decision and may prefer the cheaper option of refurbishing the school.
The draughty, glass-clad 1960s school was designed by HT Cadbury-Brown, one of the principal architects of the Festival of Britain.
In a council consultation most parents, the school governors and the Parents and Teachers Association, co-chaired by TV comedian Arabella Weir, voted to rebuild Ashmount on the Crouch Hill site.
But a feasibility study by architects Purcell Miller Tritton, responsible for refurbishing the Victoria and Albert Museum and Hampton Court, said the school could be renovated for as little as £3.1 million.
James Dunnett, an architect and leading member of the Islington Society who has campaigned to save the school building, is delighted by the feasibility study.
He added: “I get the impression the council who commissioned the study rather wish it would go away.
“I’ve always argued that, despite the problems with the fabric of the building, it could always be refurbished to meet current standards. It’s not rocket science. The glass cladding could be specially treated and double-gazed to prevent heat and cold.
“It would be a lot cheaper than rebuilding and probably less disruptive.”
Labour councillor Martin Klute, who works in architecture, agreed. He said: “I know from my professional experience that technology to fix buildings has moved on. I believe that the potential loss of public open land has been completely glossed over.”
The latest developments emerged after last week’s article in the Tribune in which the chairman of school governors, David Barry, warned that children and staff had to endure “appalling conditions”, due to the design of the building.
Mr Barry said he knew nothing of the new feasibility study. He added: “But previous studies have shown the bill for refurbishments was too high and still would not result in conditions that modern standards required.
“It still wouldn’t fix issues like the lack of toilets on upper floors, the fact that the only access to classrooms is through other classrooms and the lack of wheelchair access.
“What you would be doing is spending a very large amount of money on refurbishing and then doing it again in a few years time.” |
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