Last month Tower Hamlets councillors voted to refuse plans for a new four-storey primary school and demolition of the current school. But now council officers are leaning on councillors to reverse their decision when the committee meets on Thursday 18 April 7.30pm.
The application for a new four-storey school is being made from within the Council
by the Education, Social Care & Well-being department.
Though the current school is not a listed building will be one of only two remaining original buildings in the vast new Blackwall Reach regeneration area. Interestingly, the Blackwall Reach developer doesn’t require demolition of the school and is seeking to create a character area there. But the council’s Schools Department wants to knock it down and planning officer Andrew Hargreaves states the building has no ‘heritage value’ and cannot be ‘locally listed’.
Award-winning architects Birds Portchmouth Russum have designed an alternative plan that both expands the school and conserves the building. Local neighbours have supported this by signing the petition and say nobody has asked for their opinion on whether to demolish the school.
SIGN THE PETITION AND ATTEND THE MEETING ON THURSDAY 18 April 7.30pm to SCRUTINISE Tower Hamlets’ DECISION-MAKING PROCESS (Council Chamber, Town Hall, Mulberry Place: DLR to East India)
The school is in ‘Building Parcel R’ within the proposed Blackwall Reach Regeneration Area
Proposed regeneration area looking towards the Thames
Woolmore Primary School from Woolmore Street with its seven vent stacks.
Built in the neo-Georgian style the school was opened in 1916.
The school from the north side with Canary Wharf
with the former Infants School and All Saints Church
The east end and part of the large school garden
The former Infants School awaiting demolition
The Infants School became the British Restaurant on Woolmore Street in wartime London in 1942
Imperial War Museum archive
A school annex, formerly the Manual Training Centre, being demolished on 27 March 2013
From East India Dock Road with the newly-demolished Infants School and annex.
Tower Hamlets Council is in the background on the left with Robin Hood Gardens on the right.
The front of the school from Robin Hood Gardens
from the mound in Robin Hood Gardens
Through a glass brick wall in Robin Hood Gardens
After a long struggle Robin Hood Gardens will be demolished as part of the Blackwall Reach redevelopment
SIGN THE PETITION TO SUPPORT THE SAVING AND EXTENSION OF THE SCHOOL
These schools were in my great great greatgrandads name & the woolmore name will be no more due to that there is no boys on my grandads side
The school was rebuild new structures its still called woolmore primary school
Could any one let me know what happened as I’ve been away for years& find out there knocking down a school named after my family
My father was born in Poplar 1919. I am trying to trace where the children from Grovesnor Buildings went to. Could he have gone to this school.
My mother in law was born in 2030 and lived in Grosvenor Buildings. She went to Woolmore Primary School and believes all the children from Grosvenor Buildings went there or the local Catholic school.