Converting ‘deteriorating’ Victorian school into home would cause ‘substantial harm’

This is the fifth time that similar proposals have been submitted for the former school

A Grade II listed former Victorian school could be converted into a home. If approved, the Old Day School in High street in Bluntisham would undergo extensions and alterations.

This is the fifth time that similar proposals have been submitted to Huntingdonshire District Council. The previous applications were either withdrawn or refused. Planning documents state the building is “in a deteriorating condition and is frequently vandalised by trespassers”.

The current plans for the old school building would convert it into a two-storey, three-bedroom house. The school was built in 1842, with a toilet block added in 1930 and a kitchen added in 1944.

The works include breaking through the west of the hall to create an opening, adding mezzanine to the north of the hall, creating a sun roof, knocking down the outbuilding and removing and reconstructing the toilet and kitchen. Reviewing the plans, a conservation officer said: “The main feature of the building is the open classroom space which forms part of its original plan form, this is specifically emphasised as an important part of why the building is listed and its significance.

“The inclusion of the mezzanine with bedroom and ensuite bathroom under will fundamentally and significantly erode the space of the hall and damage the original plan form. This will result in a high level of harm.”

However, parts of the works such as removing the outbuilding were not objected to by the conservation officer. Although the officer said the development would “not harm the setting of adjacent listed buildings”, they believe the proposals “do not preserve the significance of the listed building, and result in a high level of less than substantial harm”.

The design and access statement for the current plans, written on behalf of applicant Simon Claridge, says: “The proposed development has been carefully conceived to secure the long-term preservation and viable reuse of the former school building through its sensitive conversion to a single residential dwelling.

“The design approach has sought to balance the functional requirements of a modern home with the need to preserve the special architectural and historic interest of the listed building and its contribution to the wider character of the conservation area.”

Expressing their thoughts on the plans, one person claimed: “The double-height Victorian schoolroom (the primary feature of the building’s architectural interest) is set to be permanently chopped in half by a modern stud partition wall to carve out a private main bedroom. This destroys the open, high-ceiling volume of the historic school hall.”

Planning document notes state that existing historic railings would be removed and taken to another address throughout the works and reinstalled after. An existing dwarf wall in “poor repair” would also be removed and replaced. The objector claimed that “dismantling a protected curtilage asset” would cause “immediate harm to the Bluntisham Conservation Area”.

Several people have also shared their support for the proposals. One person wrote: “I understand that this building is currently derelict. The owners are trying to make a beautiful home out of it. Frankly, we should be grateful that someone is willing to buy the property, invest money into it and make good of it. Otherwise, it will sit there forever and continue to fall apart.”

Meanwhile, another local, who highlighted the building’s “very poor state of repair” said that “in its present condition, the building is clearly deteriorating, and I believe this poses a serious threat to the long-term preservation of this Grade II listed structure”.

The comment added: “Bringing the building back into active, responsible use is, in my view, essential to safeguarding its future. I am fully supportive of the applicants’ proposals to restore the building and convert it into a family home.

“From what I understand of their plans, they are respectful of the building’s historic significance and are focused on sensitive repair, retention of original features where possible, and the use of appropriate materials in keeping with the character of the property.”