Hackney New School building scheme approved by council

Hackney Town Hall. Photograph: Hackney Citizen

Plans for new school buildings were approved at last night’s Hackney Council planning subcommittee meeting despite concerns about overcrowding on the school’s site in De Beauvoir.

Four councillors on the planning sub-committee, including its chair Vincent Stops, voted in favour of the Hackney New School (HNS) scheme, with the remaining four abstaining, meaning the proposal to create a new secondary school and sixth form for up to 700 pupils in Downham Road, Kingsland Road and Kingsland Basin was passed.

HNS is already operating out of the Downham Road part of the site, and 100 students formed the first intake earlier this year.

Two new buildings designed by Shoreditch based architects firm Henley Halebrown Rorrison will be constructed in Kingsland Road and other buildings forming part of the site are being refurbished.

In response to its consultation on the plans 93 letters had been received by Hackney Council from residents objecting to the scheme, with 20 letters of support received.

Some residents warned the new six storey building to be created on Kingsland Basin would block light to neighbouring properties, and subcommittee member Councillor Katie Hanson told the meeting she was concerned playground space on site would not be sufficient for 700 pupils.

She said: “Even if they are all standing next to each other, still they wouldn’t have much space, and in my experience teenagers don’t stand still for very long.”

But the meeting also heard HNS will help meet a growing demand for school places in the area.

Headteacher Lesley Falconer said: “To successfully bid for a free school you must show there is a demand.”

She said she was “absolutely delighted” the council had approved the plans.

The establishment of HNS, a mixed ability free school which specialises in music, followed a campaign by a group of residents, including Dalston resident Andreas Wesemann, which began in August 2011.

Free schools – central government funded state schools that can be opened by anyone – form part of the Conservatives’ flagship education policies and have been championed by education secretary Michael Gove.