Ken Loach backs bid to save town's historic school building

[dutchman]

A battle to save a cherished school building has been backed by Nuneaton's most famous son.



World-renowned film director Ken Loach is a long-standing champion of heritage in his beloved hometown and is shocked at the possibility that the former Park Avenue School in Attleborough could be demolished.

He made a pilgrimage to the locally listed building on the request of members of the newly formed action group, AR action group, which stands for Attleborough Residents.

Historian Peter Lee was among those who went along to the special site visit at the building, which was built in 1907.

"We all agreed, including Ken, that to pull this building down would be a crying shame," Mr Lee said.

"He (Mr Loach) was very supportive of the campaign to stop the school from being demolished. It is in much better shape than we all anticipated, in fact it is a superb building."

As featured in the News, residents launched the campaign to save the building, which also played home to the Freeway Centre, last week.

Warwickshire County Council owns the building and it has been revealed that it is one of eight sites that it is putting out to tender to a firm to provide specialised housing with care for adults.

But, whoever wins the tender could decide to tear the historic building down, and create a fit-for-purpose facility.

Julie-Ann Simms, chair of AR, explained that they have organised a public meeting to gather even more support for their campaign.

"Our campaign has received support from the film director, Ken Loach, and the scriptwriter, Paul Laverty, who visited the old school in Park Avenue this to lend their voices to our campaign," she explained.

"They were impressed with the architecture of the building and wholeheartedly agree with our aims to bring it back into use for the community, and to ensure it is kept as a treasured part of Attleborough for generations to come."

The public meeting for local residents will be held on Wednesday, October 15 from 7.30pm to 9pm, in the function room of the Crystal Palace pub.

"We are the ones who should have a say about what happens in our local area and not county council workers in Warwick!

"The more voices that join us, the more likely we are to succeed in stopping this ridiculous demolition plan."

The building has stood empty for several years after a controversial decision was made to close the Freeway Centre. The Freeway Centre itself was opened to much fanfare back in 2000, four years after the school closed its doors.

The News contacted Shire Hall and a spokesperson for Warwickshire County Council explained: "The intention is very much for the former Freeway Centre site to continue to benefit the community, particularly adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, sensory impairment and/or mental health needs. The Freeway Centre is one of eight sites across the county which have been identified for specialised housing with care for adults.

"Having gone through a formal tender process, we will be confirming awards for each of the eight sites to the preferred developer/providers and the county council will retain the freehold for these sites to ensure use for this purpose. The developer/providers' role would be to construct and manage a scheme of this type and they will submit a planning application which the public will be able to comment on. In addition, the county council will work with the developer/provider and our customer groups to consult with the local community and current and prospective customers."

Should a planning application be lodged to demolish the building, it would be Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, not the county council, which would have the final say.

[dutchman]

Campaigners gear up for final battle to save historic building in Attleborough



CAMPAIGNERS fighting against plans to demolish a historic school building in Nuneaton are gearing up for their final battle.

Residents say they have been told that an application to completely change the face of the former Attleborough School will be discussed by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council's planning committee on October 13.

After winning a contract with Warwickshire County Council, Arden Estate Partnerships (AEP) is proposing to transform the school, also the former home of the Freeway Centre, to provide safe and secure self-contained accommodation suitable for adults with mental health, physical and/or learning difficulties, who require varying levels of support, and to enable them to live independently in a home environment.

The agenda for the meeting is due to be released this week and campaigners will be able to find out if planning officers from the council are recommending the application for approval or refusal.

It will also give people a chance to see just how many objections have been submitted against the controversial application.

The development plans include 23 one-bedroom units, including six apartments for those with a higher level of independence, and an additional separate shared living centre accommodating six bedrooms for residents less independent with one respite room for overnight stay.

It is understood that the new accommodation will help meet the demand for places from people with learning disabilities who wish to live in the area.

But the proposals have already been met with much objection from local residents and members of an Attleborough action group who believe that the building, which is listed, should be left alone.

Several attempts were made to stop an official planning application being submitted, including raising a 2,000 signature-strong petition, but it was dismissed.

Campaigners are now hoping that planning committee members refuse the plans and save the building from being destroyed.

The plans for the specialist accommodation in Nuneaton is one of four county-wide, including another at Dordon in North Warwickshire.

In total, the project aims to deliver 59 one-bedroom apartments, along with 13 bedrooms in shared housing.

To see proposal details log on to http://apps.nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk