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Groups slams proposed demolition of Victorian building in St Albans

1:10pm Sunday 29th January 2012 in News By Manisha Mistry

A HERITAGE group has condemned proposals by Hertfordshire County Council to demolish a historic building in the centre of St Albans.

As part of the plans for the new Alban City primary school, the authority has applied for permission to knock down the Victorian school building, known as the Pemberton block.

It wants to create space behind Hatfield Road to be used as school playing fields. The new city centre free school is due to open in September - inside the former University of Hertfordshire School of Law building.

The block is believed to be the only remaining structure of the city's historic St Albans School for Boys and was built as an extension to the first section built in 1883.

The red brick building is locally listed and falls within the conservation area.

It makes up part of a group of historic buildings including the Museum of St Albans, the Liberal Club and the Peacock public house.

Despite the school opening this year, the application states that more play area will not be needed until at least 2016.

James Hughes, conservation advisor for the Victorian Society, said: "Conservation areas are designed to protect such clusters of buildings and this area will not be enhanced by knocking down one of the group.

"The benefit to the community of a large concrete playground does not outweigh the loss of this attractive and robust Victorian building."

Mr Hughes described the potential demolition of the Pemberton block as an "appalling waste of a structurally sound historic building, and the site calls for a much less destructive solution."

Comments(1)

avis says...
2:26pm Sat 18 Feb 12

This Saturday morning a young man outside town hall/Tea Merchants stopped us with clip board and asked us if we recognised the old Victorian building and St Peters Church. We said yes but then the questioning went to how often we walked down through the churchyard where the Victorian building can be seen. We said we don't. I asked who he represented, he said the new Free School in Hatfield Road. It turned out that he was trying to gain evidence that few people actually walk through that pathway and see the building so there was no reason for it NOT to be demolished. No signatures asked for, just answers to his questions. I realised then we had fallen into the trap of him gaining evidence for the demolition. So underhand. I told him the building should be kept and hopefully teach the children how to appreciate History and perhaps use it as a History room, something special and not to knock it down.

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