NEWS FROM THE WAVERTREE SOCIETY (Oct.2001)

The Old Rectory to be restored?
A planning application (ref. 01F/2272) has been submitted by Auckland College - which is currently based in Auckland Road, near Penny Lane - to convert 28 Church Road North into an educational establishment. This Listed Building - one of the finest Georgian houses in Wavertree - was at one time the Rectory of Holy Trinity Church, and more recently has formed part of the Liverpool Progressive Synagogue. It is in a very poor state of repair, but the current plans envisage its restoration and use as a private school, incorporating 13 classrooms. The planning application is only for change of use, and a further (listed building consent) application will have to be submitted if any changes to the appearance of the building are contemplated. The Society's Committee has welcomed the proposal, which promises to bring a neglected building back into beneficial use.

Blue Coat decision awaited

The Society's Committee discussed the plans for the Blue Coat School (see last Newsletter) at its meeting in early September. We wrote to the City Council's Planning Department to say that:

  • We have no objection to the principle of part-residential use, or to the creation of a new school entrance at the north end of the existing Church Road frontage.


  • We do, however, strongly object to the bulky white 'shell' housing the proposed entrance, which we feel would be an obtrusive feature detracting both from the adjacent listed buildings and the surrounding residential area.


  • We also object to the materials - copper and cedar wood - proposed for the new school extension. Such a sensitive location is not, we feel, the place to use materials which change their colour so dramatically - and perhaps unpredictably - following installation.


We understand that a decision is likely to be made by the Council in November, and that the scheduled completion date for the 'new' school is Spring 2004.

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Page created 24 October 2001 by MRC.