Sadiq blocks plans for new sports block at Winston Churchill's school

The Vaughan Library at Harrow School, formerly attended by Winston Churchill
Bernard Burns/Wikimedia
Anna Davis @_annadavis30 January 2018

Sir Winston Churchill's former school has been dealt a blow by Sadiq Khan over plans for a sports block.

The Mayor has blocked Harrow School from constructing a state-of-the-art sports building because it would have encroached on protected green space.

Sir Winston’s alma mater — which educated six other British prime ministers as well as actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Laurence Fox — wanted to overhaul its campus with a 7,300 sq m sports block, science buildings, a games area and car park.

The sports facilities would have been shared with the local community, and children from primary and secondary schools would have benefited.

However, part of the development, which had been approved by Harrow council, would have been built on Metropolitan Open Land, owned by the school but largely undeveloped.

The mayor’s new London Plan gives this type of land the same protection as that given to the green belt and Mr Khan said that the sports building should be built on the existing site at the £12,850-a-term school.

He said: “Protecting London’s precious green spaces is one of my top priorities. I absolutely support the school’s ambitions to expand its sporting facilities and their plans to open them up to the local community are to be commended.

“However, I’m clear that expansion of this kind must not encroach on open green space, which is one of the capital’s most important and cherished assets. Nor, in this case, is it necessary.”

The school had offered a “land swap”, under which land freed up by the demolition of existing buildings would compensate for the land lost by the new buildings, but Mr Khan said this was insufficient.

A school spokeswoman said: “Harrow School is disappointed with the Mayor of London’s decision… no decision has been taken by the school as to the next steps and it will be seeking guidance from its advisers.”

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