Plans for the future of Tang Hall Primary School are going to consultation at City of York Council on June 10. The Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust (MAT) site in Sixth Avenue is part of a Government national 61 school rebuilding programme, which has seen £1 billion invested in similar projects.
The programme aims to rebuild more than 500 schools in the next decade, according to the Department for Education.
Hempland Primary School – also part of Pathfinder MAT – was rebuilt after the second round of the programme, which was announced in July 2021.
Tang Hall Primary is planning a full demolition of its distinctive structure, leaving a children’s centre behind. It will then be rebuilt with a new school building, as well as new play areas and a new playing field.
The new building will also bring outdoor space for the school’s nursery provision, which will be built on the northern side of the site.
The applicants added that the new building will be flat roofed, with a “bio-solar” roof, which is made up of a mix of green roof and solar panels.
Founded in 1927, the current site was home to four different schools, divided by junior and senior ages, and gender. But according to planning documents, signs of decay in the current building show the need for the new development.
Signs included brick deterioration, damp, and cracks developing on the walls.
The application said: “The general view of the public was that the demolition of the existing school buildings and construction of a new school building with larger outside play space was strongly supported, with 100 per cent in favour.
“With regard the design, the schemes were also strongly supported, with 88 per cent of the feedback forms indicating that they liked the design.”
Due to the existing school building being a “non-designated heritage asset”, consultation was carried out with York Civic Trust ahead of the plans being finalised.
On March 18, an online meeting was held with the Duncan Marks and Andrew Morrison of the Civic Trust. Both were sympathetic to the need for development of the school, the documents say.
However, the Civic Trust added: “The use of metal shed type roof is hard to understand.
“It does not come from a local context. Nor does it offer an extraordinary architectural response.
“To be frank, it looks like a warehouse, and is a dominant form especially of the facade. We question how inspiring it would be for pupils and the wider community.”
Subject to approval, demolition is planned to begin in January 2025, and end in February. The development is expected to run until March 2026.
