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Arabella Weir and head teacher Pana McGee before Tuesday’s meeting |
Planners stall on plea for school rebuilding
Angry head says: ‘We’ve been waiting five years’
A POPULAR headteacher expressed anger this week at the failure to take a decision on controversial plans to rebuild her primary school in Upper Holloway.
Pana McGee, supported by parent and TV comedian Arabella Weir, had urged Islington Council’s north area planning committee to back the rebuilding of Ashmount School at a cost of £6million on a conservation area nearby.
More than 50 members of the public packed the town hall conference room on Tuesday, but after two hours of often-heated debate the committee of four was divided on the proposal. On the casting vote of Labour chairman Councillor Wally Burgess, it was agreed to wait for more information.
Under the plan, the school building in Hornsey Lane would be demolished to make way for flats. A new four-storey school would be built at three-acre Crouch Hill recreation ground.
Under the plans Bowlers Nursery and the derelict Cape Youth Centre would be renovated and brought back into public use.
Objectors argued that, rather than build on an open space close to wildlife habitats such as the Parkland Walk, the school could be easily refurbished or rebuilt on its current site.
After the meeting, Ms McGee said she was disappointed with the decision. “We’ve been waiting five years for a new school,” she said. “Because of the current school’s design we have a building that is too cold in winter and too hot in summer.
“The toilets are all on the ground floor and the drainage is not working effectively. I’m appalled by the delay. What additional information did they need?”
Ms Weir, co-chair of the school’s parents’ and teachers’ association, said she was not clear why after five years – which have seen a public consultation in which parents voted unanimously for the scheme – councillors still needed more information. “This is local politics at its worst,” she added.
Objector Frances Wilkinson, a local resident and lawyer, said council consultants had suggested that refurbishment and rebuilding on-site were serious options. “There’s so much more scope on the present site than squeezing a new school onto precious wildlife land which should be protected from development,” she added.
The draughty, glass-clad, 1960s-built Ashmount School was designed by HT Cadbury-Brown, one of the principal architects of the Festival of Britain.
Architect James Dunnett has campaigned to save the building. “I’ve always argued that despite the problems with the fabric it could be refurbished to meet current standards,” he said. |
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Your comments:
"ANGER at delay over school move decision" Your report was a good summary of a meeting which took over two hours to produce a non result. What has subsequently became plain to me is the level of anger and disappointment among Ashmount parents as news spread of the outcome, or rather, lack of one. In fact in over 12 years as a school Governor I can recall nothing like it. Given that this project has dragged on for 5 years, the dismay they feel at the neglect of their children's welfare is understandable.For me the vexation of the non decision was increased by the chairs' apparent willingness to take into account matters that were not relevant to this planning application, despite being advised against this several times by his legal adviser. I am aware of the enormous amount of work put in by council officers into this project, which has included getting the agreement of the planning advisers to the Mayor of London to allow the application to proceed.I hope it is possible for the deferred application to be brought back to an Islington Planning Committee soon. I know that the Governing Body of Ashmount School will be pressing for this, and expecting a positive result.
D. Barry
Chair of Governors
Ashmount School |
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