Kingsland Fire Station to be demolished under plans for free school and luxury flats

Facing the bulldozers: Kingsland fire station. Photograph: Daniel Kraemer

Plans to demolish the former Kingsland Fire Station and build a primary school and luxury flats have been submitted to Hackney Council.

The Haggerston development will house Hackney New Primary School, the primary branch of Hackney New School, which is based next door.

Plans were submitted on 6 July by CMA Planning on behalf of Hackney New Primary School and the Benyon Estate, a local landowner supporting the development.

The project, which would be funded by the Education Funding Agency, includes an 11-storey residential building that will house 68 new flats, half of which will be one-bedroom.

However, none of the new homes will be rented or sold at an affordable rate.

According to the application documents, the lack of affordable housing is due to the high costs of the school construction.

One of the documents submitted on behalf of the applicants stated: “The properties will be sold at market rates in order to fund the construction of the new school.”

Hackney New Primary School opened its doors to 50 reception pupils last September but has been temporarily based in its parent school while it waits for its own premises.

The school bought the site of the new development in October, after the controversial closure of Kingsland Fire Station in 2014 due to London Fire Brigade cuts.