Private Shrewsbury school applies to extend building
Plans to extend an historic school building in Shrewsbury have been lodged with Shropshire Council.
The scheme, proposed by Shrewsbury School, would see a new entrance foyer added to the Grade II listed School House building on the campus, which dates back to the late 19th century.
The school says the extension would provide a visible and identifiable entrance to the building for pupils and visitors, and create a “small gathering space” which could be used for exhibitions and displays.
According to scheme architects Arrol and Snell Ltd, the proposal would also include a “living wall”, including cassettes of evergreen plants fed by a built-in irrigation system.
In a supporting planning statement the architects said: “[The School House] was one of the first purpose made boarding houses constructed after the move from the town centre in 1882. It is an impressive building arranged over 3/4 storeys with an attic range and basement on the north side, in a Victorian “Queen Anne” style to the designs of Sir Arthur Blomfield, who also designed the embellishments to the Main School Building and the Chapel adjacent; there are several 20thC additions, mainly to the rear of the building.
“We believe the proposal is a strong architectural form without competing with the architecture of School House and also provides dual access to the accommodation and the Assembly Hall for pupils, staff and visitors alike.
“School House is the largest boarding house on site, a new foyer in this area provides a much needed space in order to expand the size of the Assembly Hall and also be able to hold exhibitions.”
Pre-application advice received from Shropshire Council said the development, which sits within the Kingsland Special Character Area of the Shrewsbury Conservation Area, would be acceptable in principle, but will be decided by council planning officers in due course.
Council planning officer Didi Kizito wrote in the authority’s pre-application response: “The proposed contemporary design is generally supported and should improve the legibility of having a more welcoming entrance, where it provides an opportunity to enhance the immediate setting of the listed building, by improved landscaping including removal of the existing incongruous tarmac and using soft planting, including trees that can line the view leading up the entrance.”
Shropshire Council advised that a heritage impact assessment should be submitted as part of the proposal to ensure the development would not have a negative impact on the existing listed building.
