Hackney Council ‘only cares about money’ in turning Victorian school into flats, say critics

Sad: the Old School Building on Lea Bridge Road

Hackney Council was accused of putting money before heritage after approving a bid by developers to convert a Victorian Grade II listed building into two two-bedroom rented flats.

Campaigners were “disappointed” at the decision by Hackney’s planning committee on Wednesday 13 January to green-light Vision Homes’ application to redevelop the Old School Building on Lea Bridge Road, vowing to fight on.

Clapton Arts Trust had sought Heritage Lottery Fund money to turn the disused historic site, which has been called a “Victorian water-gypsy time capsule”, into a museum and local community centre.

But the council agreed with planning officers that the benefits of turning the site into housing outweighed the potential damage to the 19th century neo-Gothic building.

Victoria Lockhart, a Hackney resident of 22 years with the Clapton Arts Trust, said the council’s decision “beggars belief”.

She told the Citizen: “The council has decided that money from the developers was more important than the heritage of the borough.

“Hackney [Council] and its planning officers don’t seem to care about anything but money and their relationship with developers like Vision Homes.

“Everyone can’t really understand the sense in deciding to have a small site and public building and turn it into two very small expensive flats.

“I don’t know who is going to buy these properties in this borough.”

Ms Lockhart, who lives on a riverboat near the site, said: “The building is beautiful – it’s something I’ve always appreciated when I’ve been there.”

She said the alternative plans for a community museum “would have been the first museum dedicated to the lived history and families of boat dwellers”.

“It’s just a really sad day. It’s a really sad missed opportunity,” she added.

When contacted by the Citizen for comment, the council provided a statement by Cllr Vincent Stops, chair of the planning committee which approved the conversion.

Cllr Stops said: “Hackney’s planning sub-committee granted approval for the development, subject to conditions, in-line with National Planning Policy Framework.

“The new development will bring many positives to improve the situation for this ‘heritage at risk’ building, which has been derelict and in need of repair for some time, by protecting the historical architecture for many years to come while bringing it back into use with residential housing.”

Ian Rathbone, councillor for Lea Bridge and chair of the CAT, said: “We regret the loss of opportunity for the community to have its own centre in a locality which has no public meeting place, and are of course disappointed to lose the opportunity to enhance the cultural scene in Clapton in particular and in Hackney as a whole.

“We will be pressing on with our discussion with Heritage Lottery Fund about funding the restoration of the Grade II listed building having already received funding for the feasibility stage.”

Cllr Rathbone urged Vision Homes to “think again” about the project, implying the developers had promised to support plans for a community museum.

He said: “We also regret that there seems to be some misunderstanding with the current owners about the progress of the project and we hope that they will think again about helping the local community and honouring the commitment they made in the original planning process for the building to be used as a centre for the community.

“We have been active in trying to engage them for the last two years on this issue but they seem to have lost interest.”

Cllr Rathbone said that no “letter of comfort” from Vision Homes had been received despite what was said at the planning meeting, and called for Vision Homes to release a 25-year old lease, delay of which had “hindered” progress of the lottery funding bid.

He added: “There has been enthusiastic support from a wide range of local organisations and residents for the project. It would be a shame if this community project does not happen.”

Vision Homes were contacted but were unavailable for comment.