Plans to rebuild and restore a threatened listened building in Putney and bring it back into everyday use have been approved by councillors.

Thursday night’s planning applications committee granted permission to a developer’s proposals to rebuild and restore the former schoolkeeper’s cottage at Brandlehow School.

The cottage, which was given listed building status in 1993 when the entire school site was listed, was partially demolished in 2007 when the developer tried to implement a previous planning permission.

For carrying out an unauthorised demolition and failing to comply with planning laws the developer was fined a total of £36,000.

The granting of a new planning permission for the cottage means that work can now begin on repairing that damage by extending and converting the cottage to provide four affordable homes.

Planning chairman Cllr Nick Cuff said: “People living near to Brandlehow will be delighted that a new permission is now in place to repair and restore this important building. It means that four new homes will be provided on this site and mean that neighbours will no longer have to put up with an overgrown and unkempt eyesore that came about as a direct result of the unlawful works that occurred in 2007.

“We have worked very closely with the developer to make sure that these plans are deliverable and that they ensure that proper repairs are carried out to restore this listed building and give it a new lease of life.”

The cottage was formerly part of Brandlehow School until it was declared surplus to the school's needs in 2001. Brandlehow was built in 1952 and is one of only three schools in London to have been designed by controversial architect Erno Goldfinger - best known for his iconic Trellick Tower in Paddington (pictured right). It was constructed using innovative building methods for the time, using a pre-cast reinforced concrete frame .

 

April 18, 2011