Minister says Alnwick's Duchess School must be rebuilt urgently
Jan 29 2010 by William Green, The Journal
The renovation of old buildings is the way to go
SAVE our old school buildings was the call from most people who took part in an English Heritage survey.
The organisation said that refurbishing old school buildings is often the best use of resources when schools and local authorities bid for investment from the Government’s multi-million pound schools building and renewal programme.
The survey showed that two thirds of those questioned think that refurbishing and extending old schools is more environmentally friendly than demolishing them and building new ones.
And 83% of respondents feel that local councils should do more to find new uses for old, empty schools and 47% feel that schools with historic character provide a more inspiring educational environment than modern ones.
Three in four also say that historic schools contribute to the identity of a local area.
English Heritage North East director Carol Pyrah said: "The Government’s current investment programme represents an excellent opportunity to ensure that the North East’s school estate provides the best possible learning environment for many years to come.
"But all too often, not enough consideration is given to the potential of a historic school building to be upgraded and reused at the very early stage in the decision-making process.
"Instead of seeing refurbishment as a fall-back or second-best solution, we want decision makers to have the confidence to believe that it is often the best and most appropriate solution.
"It uses what we have got, minimises requirements for new materials and cuts demolition waste, and it also helps to reinforce people’s sense of belonging and local identity.
"Where a historic building becomes redundant for educational use there are many alternative uses which can be considered."
One such example is Joicey Road Open Air School, Gateshead.
Built in 1936-7, the school had classrooms for 150 boys and girls who had tuberculosis and other illnesses that required lots of fresh air.
Designed to be cold and open to the elements, the classrooms were arranged on a staggered plan to give a maximum of sunshine with large folding windows on three sides.
Lessons could be taken inside or out.
The school was listed in May 2008.
Last September, a planning application was submitted for its reuse as creative business space.
Tony Henderson
