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New school plans
*The latest missive from the FOPW*
**To Friends of the Parkland Walk**
As many of you will know, a major scheme is being developed by the Borough of Islington that could have a significant impact on the Walk.
The area affected is adjacent to the south of the Walk between Crouch Hill and the pedestrian bridge at the end of the old station platforms near Crouch End Hill. Here there is a large area of only partly used land. There are at present a nursery school (Bowlers) and a hard football area in use on the land. There is also a disused community centre (originally a bowling green and club building).
Although adjacent to the Walk, the area is almost invisible from it, so you may be unaware of it. There are several paths joining to the Walk and crossing the area under discussion, so why not go and have a look?
There is also the large bulk of the CAPE youth centre on the edge of the Walk by Crouch Hill. This was formerly a never-used transformer station for the proposed London Underground electrification of the railway.
The basic plan is to close the present Ashmount primary school on Hornsey Lane and demolish the nursery and community centre on this site. A new Ashmount school and nursery would then be built here. Part of the area will become the play area for the school and part will be public open space.
The underlying concept is not to have completely separate functions, but to try to integrate them where possible. This particularily applies to the open spaces and play areas. If possible, they would be multi-use, and the area known as the Crouch Hill Community Park This includes the adjacent part of the Parkland Walk, which would be 'enhanced'.
The CAPE building would be retained as a youth centre. It would be developed with new facilities such as an ecology centre, which would be primarily aimed at assisting visits by schools.
As far as the Walk is concerned, the main path would remain. Some of the other paths would change, partly to encourage use of the Walk directly to and from the school. The boundary fences would go, and the Walk would merge into the park and school areas.
An 'Advisory Board' meets occasionally. It allows representatives of the school and nursery staff and parents, police, other Islington departments etc. to meet the designers and planners. The Friends of PW are included. According to the last timetable,
Islington are expecting to make a planning application in November. The FPW Committee will consider the plans and probably make comments on behalf of the Friends. If you let us know your views we will be able to consider them. You will be able to make your own comment, of course, and can include any matters you wish. The Friends will confine themselves to the effects on the Parkland Walk.
When the application is made, plans will be available at Islington offices. They will also be on the Islington website, and as soon as we find out this has happened we will inform you, and hopefully provide a link.
It seems probable that the application will be considered by the Mayor of London's office as well as Islington Planning Committee. If all goes well, construction could start in Summer 2009, and the school open in Autumn 2010.
If any members of the Friends are particularily interested in the details of this scheme, and would like to assist in considering them, and informing members and the Committee, please let me know.
Comments
I've no idea if i'm for or against it!