Listed Victorian school could be converted into a home

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

A Grade II listed Victorian school in a Cambridgeshire village could be converted into a home under new plans. Under proposals submitted this month, extensions would be added to the Grade II listed Old Day School in High street in Bluntisham.

This is the fifth time that similar proposals have been submitted to Huntingdonshire District Council. The previous applications were either withdrawn or refused. The plans had been refused previously due to concerns that the scale, mass, design and material finish would result in “a high level of less than substantial harm to this Grade II listed building”.

The current plans for the former school building, which was also used for parish meetings, plays and concerts, would convert it into a two-storey, three-bedroom house. The proposal involves modest extensions and alterations.

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.”

The school was built in 1842, with a toilet block added in 1930 and a kitchen added in 1944. The applicant proposes knocking down the toilet block and modern rear extensions to provide “an opportunity to enhance the setting of the listed building and better reveal its original form and proportions”.

In place of the existing additions, a new rear extension is proposed. The design statement adds: “The extension has been designed as a clearly subordinate and contemporary intervention, ensuring that the historic building remains the dominant element of the site.”