Forum Topic

Sarah Trimmer School

My latest blog post. There are virtually only fragments left, and they'll be gone soon, I reckon. https://londonhistorians.wordpress.com/2017/05/09/delinquent-developers-2/

Mike Paterson ● 3192d26 Comments

Thank-you, Guy. On my birthday too!

Mike Paterson ● 2699d

It is good - but too little too late for that unique building.

Vanessa Smith ● 2702d

Good

Christopher Hugh Dakers ● 2702d

I'm pleased to report that the Planning Inspectorate have rejected the developers' two separate appeals against our refusals to allow the Sarah Trimmer Hall to be cut in three.

Guy Lambert ● 2702d

Surely as long as it is restored to it's original appearance externally using the correct materials, that should suffice.It's been changed around inside many times but the basic structure should remain externally and aesthetically correct.The best thing is it gets used either by a business or as a home.

Raymond Havelock ● 3187d

Just for clarity, permission was granted for conversion to a single dwelling. Repeated applications to make three dwellings have been rejected but there is another currently under consideration.Local historians seem unanimous in the view that it should be retained as a single dwelling: the fact there will be no public access is of course shared with many other listed buildings, where nevertheless protection is commonly applied to their interiors.

Guy Lambert ● 3188d

The building may have looked unremarkable but it is an early example of a purpose built school house and of historical importance because of Sarah trimmers early involvement in the education for all movement.

Neil Chippendale ● 3188d

Well a lot of nondescript buildings which have been updated ( usually badly ) over generations , but have a history attached to them, Turn out to be fabulous when restored and found a new use.In many parts of London this is very evident from small dwellings to large factories.Some of the blackened almost crumbling buildings around the Kings Cross and St Pancras are good examples.Historic Buildings and buildings of significance can be regenerated and put to good use. And Brentford had a fair few and too many have been lost.I think the Wilson and Kyle Building, properly restored and updated within a careful criteria could be a fantastic building of mixed use.  The now demolished Telephone Exchange another, both of which could be exciting and interesting places to either live work or shop in.But to let things be got away with in this way is not really acceptable.  It's been done on more than a few occasions in this area, so there should be things in place to ensure it does not get repeated so easily.

Raymond Havelock ● 3189d

Dear contributors what really is the issue here? Is it that due to lack of care or through deliberate vandalism a developer appears to have outwitted us? Or is it that a valued piece of local heritage has been lost? If I recall correctly from what has been previously posted in another thread ,there was nothing of any historic value inside the building.To my untrained eye, the exterior was most unremarkable.Even if the exterior had been perfectly restored , there would have been no public access to a private site.Planning permission was granted for conversion to several dwellings, so internally there may have been little of historic value left.I would have been more concerned if the neighboring church building had been raised to the ground rather than put to a new use.Like much of what is written on here what I write is of course personal opinion and I do not like the idea of a developer riding roughshod over regulations.

David R Rowlands ● 3189d

I did miss read your post , but then I wasn't having a go at you anyway. Brentford has has it's fair share of half finished developments that which has made it worse rather than better. If you look at old photos of Brentford High Street it looks close in with buildings close to the road  making it a dark a dismal place. But even though half of the 1950's projects were 50% or 75% completed  it opened up the road and buildings were further back.But now the new developments are doing the opposite and re closing the road back in, soon we will be back into the dark ages again.

Bernard Allen ● 3191d

Apologies, the second sentence in my last post should end with concerned residents being labelled as 'nimbies'.

Adam Beamish ● 3191d

Suggest you reread my post Bernard, I never said "a developer can't bully anyone", indeed I actually said I wouldn't work for a developer which did.What I was saying was that it's no more appropriate for developers or big companies to be labelled as 'bullies' than it is for concerned residents to be labelled as 'bullies'.Did I suddenly become evil and immoral when I left the public sector and moved into the private sector ? (within which I still act on behalf of Councils and concerned residents, as well as developers and big companies).Ironically I'm working on one project at the moment where I feel my client, a developer, has metaphorically dug something of a hole for himself in trying to "do the right thing" (against my advice) because he's also a local resident and interacting with the local community on what are very modest proposals.

Adam Beamish ● 3191d

A developer cant bully anyone? GWQ comes to mind, with the MOT station, apparently every man has his price.That shows some People have principles and put two fingers up to some very heavy persuasion, and proved he could not be brought.I wonder how many developers have snuck in to a heritage site over the weekend pulled it all down before it could be fully listed.This has been carried a few times in this borough

Bernard Allen ● 3191d

I agree about the value of heritage officers.  As for planning enforcement, during the time I specialised in it I never ceased to be amazed by how polarised the views of residents was on the issue of enforcement, or how animated people could become about trivialities and the associated lengths they go to.But having subsequently worked for one of the UK's biggest housebuilders and currently regularly acting on behalf of one of the world's largest fast food operators, I haven't suddenly become a bully and nor would I work with clients that are.Indeed, and this is controversial, I'd suggest that LPA officers are more likely to be 'pressurised' (not bullied) by Councillors and Joe Public than what I ever am by developers in the private sector, and given I'm the key person between the developer and the LPA if anyone was doing the 'bullying' it would be me !.

Adam Beamish ● 3191d

A new heritage officer has been appointed, though I haven't met him/her yet.

Guy Lambert ● 3191d

Another conservation officer has just gone after a temporary year with Hounslow, also the Head of planning enforcement has departed, no tears will be shed over him! They really do need to be more accessible to local groups who are doing their best to protect local heritage. It is soul destroying when blind eyes are turned in favour of big bully business.

Vanessa Smith ● 3191d

Paul, you're referring to Maggie Urquhart, she isn't with the Council anymore.  No idea about how 'accessible' she was but she was very much into 'heritage', as one would expect.  As for being as mad as a hatter, I know what you mean but equally I'd describe myself in much the same vein for having working in planning enforcement !.

Adam Beamish ● 3191d

Not sure if she is still employed by Hounslow Council but there was once a Conservation Officer who was absolutely impossible to get hold of either by phone or e-mail and was as mad as a hatterHow that salary was justified I will never know

Paul Fisher ● 3191d

I think Hounslow has a very pore record for looking after our old architectural history.Look at the Minimax factory entrance, Faggs Road Feltham.The people who were responsible for that, needed stringing up.And when they just saved the entrance, the way they did, was adding insult to injury

Bernard Allen ● 3191d

Well I guess it's a matter of opinion - nevertheless the disgraceful behaviour of some of these developers needs jumping on, and it is more than disappointing that we can't rely on the local authority to help preserve our local heritage. This is supposed to be a conservation area not a building company's version of something long gone.

Vanessa Smith ● 3191d

I have to say, having not been that way for some time, and having had some involvement years ago when the top section of one of the entrance piers at Nazareth House fell off, I thought how good that entrance looked when I drove past the other day having been in a terrible state for the last 10 years or so.

Adam Beamish ● 3191d

Good for you then, when the developers at Nazareth House 'accidentally' knocked down the two listed entrance piers, instead of - as they should - using as much of the original material as possible to re-build - totally ignored that and stuck up what can only be described as a poor pastiche of the originals. Were planning enforcement interested? Oh! please you have to be joking, they were as much use as a chocolate fireguard, it's outrageous that we aren't able to rely on Hounslow Council for some support in these matters. No wonder these developers try it on , the know there's a good chance they'll get away with murder.

Vanessa Smith ● 3191d

No I haven't and if you're paying attention Paul I rarely do!I spotted yet another new planning application for turning the Trimmer hall into 3 dwellings today and have already queried with the planners, though there are currently no documents posted. I also alerted Mike and other local heritage enthusiasts, though it seems Mike was already aware.With fellow ward councillors, I believe the Trimmer Hall should be rebuilt in accordance with the existing planning permission using the original materials (mainly bricks and roof tiles) as far as possible.We fought a similar battle for the rebuilding of the facade of 57-59 Kew Bridge Road (though this was not formally listed) and most people, including specialists, seem pleased with the outcome.

Guy Lambert ● 3192d

I was going to say Cllr Lambert has gone to ground on this as he usually does when anything controversial crops up

Paul Fisher ● 3192d

Trying to get Hounslow's panning enforcement people to wake up and do something where our heritage is at risk is a pretty  thankless task. But where's Guy and his colleague who were on this one? What a bunch of Philistines, they just don't give a rat's a*se.

Vanessa Smith ● 3192d

Mike, I have to agree with your last paragraph in your blog. I was born in Brentford, my Grandparents as other members of my family were married in St Georges Church, Grandparents on Christmas day 1919.The destruction of Sarah Trimmer’s School should be treated as a crime and the top man should do the honorable thing and fall on his sword, jail is to good for him.I am also ashamed of Hounslow Council for letting this destruction of such an important historical building happen under their nose.I believe that the word Developer should be classified a new dirty would

Bernard Allen ● 3192d