Pictures show how new state-of-the-art West London primary school and flats will look

The historic Gordon Cottage is also going to be knocked down as part of the redevelopment of Avonmore Primary School and Nursery after Hammersmith and Fulham councillors gave the scheme the green light.

Cabinet members agreed in 2019 that Avonmore would be the first project in the council’s Community Schools Programme. The initiative seeks to use funds from new housing built on school sites to help revitalise some of the borough’s primaries.

The redevelopment will involve the demolition of the existing buildings to deliver a new primary school, nursery and playground. It will include facilities such as larger classrooms and a terrace with a running track, trim trail and table tennis equipment plus a number of spaces to be available for community use.

A total of 91 flats will also be provided, 45 of which will be ‘affordable’. Of those, 60 per cent are earmarked to be let at social rent levels. The sale of 46 flats at market rate will help fund the project.

Council papers say there were 76 objections, with concerns including the scale of the redevelopment, the impacts on privacy and the demolition of Gordon Cottage. Gordon Cottage is a 19th century house defined as a ‘Building of Merit’, and so of historical significance. According to an online petition, it survived the Nazi bombing of the capital during the Second World War.

In its submission, Historic England, the Government’s heritage body, wrote that while it does not object in principle ‘heritage assets, including those which are non-designated, are irreplaceable’. It added: “It is important that proper weight be given to the merit of Gordon Cottage both in its own right and as a positive contributor to the significance of a designated heritage asset.”

The proposal also received significant support, with 140 letters backing the scheme plus a petition representing 84 properties. The quality of the design and the need to improve the school building were among the potential benefits listed.

At a planning and development control committee meeting earlier this week, questions were asked by several speakers about the necessity of the redevelopment, its financial viability, and the consultation process. David Tarsh, representing the Avonmore Residents’ Association, claimed the council had not conformed with its own consultation guidelines, with no residents’ panel or proper resident involvement.

He said the postcodes of many of those supporting the scheme were from outside the borough, and that three petitions run in opposition had garnered more responses than the council claimed to have in its favour.

“The council has broken its own rules, it has failed to listen properly to residents, and it has grossly misrepresented and overrepresented the degree of support,” he told the committee.

A council officer said later in the meeting that the local authority’s housing development team had carried out a public consultation from November 2019 to July 2023 prior to the application being submitted. Following its submission, two further consultations were held, resulting in changes including to the landscaping proposals.

Richard Farthing, chair of the Hammersmith Society, meanwhile queried the decision to include private homes on school land. Describing the proposal as ‘not a great project’, he said: “You’re taking away public land for what appears to be at least 50 per cent private gain, and the school isn’t actually that bad overall.”

Cllr David Morton, representing the Avonmore ward, described the scheme as a ‘piecemeal solution’ with issues including its ecological impact due to removing a number of trees and its financial viability. The council’s own report states the redevelopment would result in a £12.6 million deficit.

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Cllr Morton said: “The development does not align with the council’s vision for a sustainable, inclusive and prosperous borough. It is a project that prioritises short term financial gain at the expense of our community’s welfare, environmental integrity and cultural heritage.”

Maya Wittleton, head at Avonmore Primary School, however spoke on the benefits the proposed redevelopment would deliver. She said pupils and staff suffer from limitations including regular roof leaks and poor insulation alongside accessibility issues such as uneven steps.

“Our current building…is failing all of our pupils,” she said. “But it is failing our most vulnerable pupils the most of all, and it’s only getting harder and harder to maintain the level of education that our pupils deserve. It is beyond repair.”

In contrast, she said the proposed new school would meet its needs ‘perfectly’, delivering an ‘exceptional space’ for pupils and staff.

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During questioning from councillors, officers clarified the capacity of the new school would be retained at 250 pupils. It would however deliver more space per child, plus flexible facilities to be available for community use.

Conservative councillor Adrian Pascu-Tulbure asked if modelling had been done on whether more school places would be required as a result of the additional homes. An officer confirmed this had not been completed due to it not being a part of the planning application process.

Officers also said the size and scale of the proposal was in-keeping with the local area, which consists of buildings of various heights. While there will be heritage harm if Gordon Cottage is knocked down, officers had drawn up a condition stipulating a full record be made of the asset before any demolition takes place. The application was approved by the committee, with Cllr Pascu-Tulbure the only member to vote against.