The replacement of a closed school in Caversham with more than 60 new homes is set to be rejected.
Hemdean House School has been closed since July 2024, after 165 years serving as a place to teach children throughout that time.
The school in Hemdean Road was founded by Francis Knighton in 185, serving as a primary and nursery school for most of that time.
Notable alumni are listed as Elsie Smith MBE (1881-1968), a nurse and missionary and Lizbeth Webb (1926-2013), a soprano and actress.
Earlier this year, a plan was submitted by Churchill Living L to redevelop the school site to create a total of 62 homes.
Of those, 51 would be dedicated retirement apartments constructed in a new building, with 10 open market apartments being created by converting the former schoolhouse, and a further new home being created through the conversion of the gatehouse.
The plan was submitted to Reading Borough Council in February.
The project is due to be decided at a meeting of its planning applications committee.
Principal planning officer Ethne Humphreys has recommended that it be rejected, listing 22 reasons why it should be refused.
One of those would be the loss of the site for educational purposes.
Her report on the application states: “The proposed development fails to demonstrate that there is no need to retain the existing educational and community use of the site.”
As for the conversions of the school and gatehouse, Ms Humphreys stated: “The proposed development would involve and require unsympathetic alterations to the historic buildings Hemdean House School and Lodge, including inappropriate fenestration and other materials, which would result fail to conserve the character and appearance of these non-designated heritage assets with consequent harm to their significance.”
Additionally, 110 objection letters to the plan were received by the council.
Sam Wild, who recently stood as the Green Party candidate for Caversham during the council elections, raised a series of concerns, including the loss of nursery provision, the traffic impacts and the height of the three-storey retirement apartments building.
Advocating for the project, a Planning Issues agent stated the scheme would deliver a number of benefits, primarily by meeting the housing needs of retirees and providing relief for adult social care services.
The planning agent wrote: “The provision of retirement housing releases underoccupied family homes back into the housing market.
“This, in turn, enables moves throughout the whole housing market, benefiting everyone, including first-time buyers.
“The social benefits of the proposed development include: encouraging independence in later life with suitably designed housing; reducing reliance on residential and nursing care; and companionship, reducing loneliness and social isolation and the associated health impacts.”
The plan is set to be decided at the meeting on Wednesday, June 3.
