Improved School Facilities - London

Background

An Archaeology Assessment and Heritage Statement was prepared to support a planning application for redevelopment at a school in London. The site is situated within an Archaeological Priority Area (Tier II) and adjacent to an early 20th-century Grade II Listed Building.

Proposed Development

The proposed scheme involves demolishing structures from the later 20th century and constructing a new single-storey school building that would use similar materials and replicate architectural features of the adjacent Grade II listed building. The remainder of the site was to be allocated for recreational use, incorporating areas of soft landscaping. The Heritage Statement identified that the school had a curtilage-listed wall that was to be modified to include a new entrance, facilitating safer access to the premises.

Heritage Impact Assessment

The report found that the proposed development would result in a low adverse impact on the fabric of the Grade II Listed wall. However, the proposed design respected the setting of the listed building by maintaining appropriate massing along the main street and selecting construction materials that complement the existing stone and brickwork. The proposal would also replace incongruous later 20th-century buildings and ensure that views of the listed structure remain unobstructed.

Mitigation Measures

Overall, the redevelopment was considered to have a minimal impact on the setting of the Grade II Listed Building and a minor positive effect on the significance of the heritage asset. Therefore, no additional heritage works were recommended.

No evidence for significant below-ground heritage assets was identified during the archaeological assessment and consequently, no further archaeological investigations were recommended.