The empty former school in Hampton has fallen into disrepair and is plagued by antisocial behaviour
Affordable homes could be built on the site of an empty school in South West London. Richmond Council wants to scrap original plans to move two schools onto the former site of Clarendon School, in Hampton, and instead use it for affordable housing.
A new report by council officers said the authority originally planned to bring together Carlisle Infant School and Hampton Hill Junior School on the site, with the project estimated to cost around £30million. However, the authority had to consider alternatives as there was no funding available and the pressure on school places had started to ease.
The report said Richmond Education Property Board, which is chaired by the council leader and includes councillors, officers and Achieving for Children (AfC), had agreed on alternative plans for the site and that it should be declared surplus to the council’s educational requirements. The Department for Education (DfE) would also need to approve a change of use for the site from education purposes, for the plans to proceed.
The council is already processing a planning application to demolish the existing school buildings, which are now derelict and plagued by antisocial behaviour. It expects to demolish these buildings in the next few months, if permission is granted.
The report said: “Like many other local authorities in London, the council has an increasing need for housing to serve people and families on its housing waiting list. This pressure creates a significant financial strain on the council, as it has had to bear the cost of funding expensive nightly temporary accommodation rates.
“To mitigate and reduce these costs, the council uses its surplus sites to build affordable housing units, acquires residential properties with the assistance of government and GLA (Greater London Authority) grants, and rents accommodation from the private sector.
“Whilst these strategies have helped to ease some of the pressure, demand remains high and is the reason that this property, which is no longer required for educational use, is considered to be suitable for the development of affordable housing.”
Clarendon School was based at the site until 2016, and now operates across three centres for students with special educational needs. The DfE then used the site as a temporary home for Turing School, before it moved permanently to Hospital Bridge Road in 2022. It has been empty ever since.
Council officers have recommended the authority’s Finance Committee agree the site should be deemed surplus to educational requirements and authorise officers to prepare the affordable housing plans at its next meeting on September 25.
Officers are then set to investigate the possibility of building affordable homes on the site and prepare options for the committee to consider, before putting together a formal planning application. The number of affordable homes the site could provide has not been published yet.
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