Community groups bid to reopen Hackney primary school as ‘creative hub’

The former site of Colvestone Primary School

Hackney charities and organisations have launched a bid to take over the now-defunct Colvestone Primary school building, after the council recognised the site as an asset of community value (ACV).

In January, a consortium of local residents and groups announced their proposal to save the former educational establishment from deteriorating and repurpose it as a “community educational, cultural and social hub”.

“All across London, schools are closing as a result of London becoming unaffordable for young families, [and] councils are being starved of government funds,” said campaign co-ordinator Bill Parry-Davies.

“There is a real risk that these fine public buildings will be permanently lost to our communities.

“Viable alternative uses that confer community benefits, like the Colvestone School bid, are possible, and these would preserve and enhance the rich architectural, educational and social heritage which these former schools embody.”

Backers of the Colvestone proposals include Pollock’s Toy Museum, Julian Joseph’s Music Hub, Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, and Mercury Prize-shortlisted electronic musician and producer Samuel Shepherd, also known as Floating Points.

The bid is also supported by creative businesses, such as Bomb Factory Art Foundation and Dalston Clay. The consortium would offer lessons in art, ceramics,  music, designing and making furniture and children’s clothes, recycling, and other subjects.

“Nurturing this kind of endeavour would bring about vital and exciting opportunities to my fellow Dalstonites,” Shepherd said.

“For education and cultural nourishment within the community, I wholeheartedly support this application and have myself benefitted from this kind of programme in my youth.”

Under the Localism Act 2011, once buildings are listed as ACVs with the local authority, the community has a right to bid for the property if the council decides to sell it.

If this happens, the ‘Community Right to Bid’ triggers a typically six-month window or ‘moratorium period’ to see if locals can raise the finance to purchase the building before any private sale takes place.

The consortium’s proposal stresses the need for ‘early reoccupation’ to prevent the building from deteriorating, and argues that this would bring down costs for the council.

It has suggested the Town Hall could offer a “meanwhile” or long-term lease to enable groups to immediately move into the space, while the local authority remains the owner.

This would give the council some flexibility should it decide to once more use the building as a school or for another public function in the future.

The council’s finance chief, Cllr Robert Chapman, said: “We are committed to finding the most sustainable and most appropriate uses for all former school sites in the borough.

“Schools are pillars of their local communities, and their buildings remain the same, even if teaching at any site comes to an end.

“The council has recognised the former Colvestone School as an ACV, as we are required to under the Localism Act, [and] it is now for the organisations and associations that have sought such recognition to demonstrate they can bring the building and land into sustainable use.

“In the meantime, we will continue to develop our own plans for this site and others. It remains the case that any change of use of a former school requires the consent of the Secretary of State.”

Parry-Davies said the plans were focused on keeping the “much-loved heritage building” open to the public and providing “community benefit”.

“We look forward to working with Hackney and, with community support, to realise this vision,” he added.

Despite an impassioned local campaign by Save Colvestone School, the council closed this primary school and three others in August last year, due to falling pupil numbers.

A further slew of primary school closures have been proposed by the council, and are expected to go ahead in August 2025.