Abacus School on site of the old Police Station
Special meeting Wednesday 9th March 2016 at 7pm
Meeting Objective
- Inform attendees of scheme and likelihood of impending planning application
- Explain DHRA Committee Position
- Solicit input from attendees
- Identify actions for assembly of relevant facts when reviewing planning application
- Identify funding needs
- Identification of Team to lead
Agenda
- Summary of Abacus School Proposal
- DHRA Committee Position
- Q&A
- Other Organisations’ positions
- Funding and Choices
- Identification of Team to lead
Abacus School
- Free School :non denominational
- Started three years ago
- Presently serves Belsize Park and has 90 students
- Highly rated by OFSTED
- Operates a car free travel plan
- Location : Town Hall > Camley St > Police Station
- Seeking Police Station Occupancy by Sept 2017
- Increased from 210 to Two forms with 420 students total when complete due to scale of available building
Present Abacus School Catchment Area (Under Consultation to add Blue Area)
Abacus School at Police Station
- Building renovations would add a large block to rear
- School Entrance would be on Downshire Hill
- School would create two new car park spaces for residents overnight although not sure of use in out of hours activity
- After hours use of school by public groups will be encouraged
Design Evolution – Current Proposal
Stakeholders
| Stakeholder | Role |
|---|---|
| Abacus Free School | Seeking Permanent Home |
| Education Funding Agency | Setting Student Numbers and Funding Police Station redevelopment |
| Education Development Trust | Supporting Free Schools |
| Camden Planning | Planning Authority |
| English Heritage | Confirm Renovation consistent with Conservation area and listed Building |
| Kier Construction | Contractors |
| Watkins Grey | School Architects |
| Maddox Associated | School Planning Advisor |
| DHRA | Represents Downshire Hill |
| Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum | Represents careful and sustainable use of Hampstead Area |
| Heath and Hampstead Soc | Represents Dev in the Area |
| Thurlow Road Association | Represents Thurlow Road |
DHRA Committee Position
- We do not oppose a school in principle
- We oppose the scale of the school for the following reasons :
| Issue | Concern |
|---|---|
| Traffic | We believe that traffic will increase considerably and;- • Impact on amenity of street • exacerbate an existing pedestrian safety issue |
| Design | We believe the proposed design is not sympathetic to the building or the neighbourhood |
| Noise | We believe the increased noise is not consistent with the neighbourhood character |
| Amenity due to entrance on DH | There will be loss of amenity due to the planned entrance being on Downshire Hill as; • Such an entrance will encourage traffic onto local residential streets • Huge impact on some immediately adjacent individual homes |
| Overall Scale | We believe that EFA is trying to maximise use of building and inserting an urban use model in a village setting |
Attendee Feedback
- Downshire Hill Residents
No Objection
OK if scale is reduced (if so to what scale )
Objection - All Attendees
No Objection
OK if scale is reduced (if so to what scale )
Objection
Next Steps (DATA)
- Develop / Assemble data sets for traffic at Police Station
- Develop / Assemble data sets for pick up / drop off traffic at other schools with similar student populations ( e.g. up to 2.5 miles from home)
- Secure independent traffic advice
- Secure independent planning advice
- Secure independent architect / heritage advice
- Secure local environmental data
- Obtain drawings
What we need from You
- Contact details
- Commitment to assist
- Funding assistance
- Willingness to join forces with joint subcommittee of DHRA. Need volunteers who are willing to share load
- Present Hampstead residents to others as fair minded but concerned re neighbourhood character