Save the Victorian Pemberton Building in St Albans from demolition

The response letter of the Council can be seen at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3eqFE3GRd1qT3dRWlhtd09ZWjM5bUw5NkJSdGVuampWWnNN/view?usp=sharing
It does not address the real issues well but still we should respond to continue the dialogue and further clarify our views

Complaint submitted to local Council had the following reply:
"Tracy Harvey head of Planning and building Control has reviewed your email and has asked for this to be escalated to a stage 2 of our complaints process. The response date for this will be 3rd May 2016."
(written by Lisa McCormack, Complaints Resolution Officer)

Alban City School is in Character Area 19, the Office Core which is part of the Conservation Area. In that very large section (as can be seen on the Council website) only 11 locally listed buildings remain, one of them the Pemberton. With its demise we would lose almost 10% of the area's locally listed buildings! This is unacceptable in a Conservation Area especially as the situation is not much better in the neighbourhood. Character Area 16, St Peter's Park nearby lost all its locally listed buildings in its central/western part due to the demolition of 23 Hatfield Road and other buildings.

"extend the outdoor play area by demolishing the Pemberton Building" claims the school. But the fact is the Pemberton Building only takes up about 8% of the total school area. They should use the remaining 92% land well and should beautifully restore their Victorian building. There is for example the huge parking area which could be reduced, made underground or two level. And if demolition is seen as the only solution it should not start with the protected, locally listed building but with the structures that are not listed.

One old photo of the original school can be seen here: http://www.hertsmemories.org.uk/images/uploaded/scaled/Hatfield_Road_Boys_School.jpg
The still existing part (the Pemberton building) can be seen as the upper left section of the central block. An original entrance is visible on the photo but is now covered by the later addition mentioned below.

Does anyone know of old photos or drawings of the Pemberton building? Maybe original plans? We could share them here...

A small addition to the Pemberton block (facing SW and the only part with a flat roof) is not part of the Victorian building but a badly done, probably 1960's extension which should be taken down after consultations with experts. It can be seen in the centre of the photo here: http://www.hertsad.co.uk/news/education/green_light_granted_for_demolition_of_locally_listed_victorian_building_on_st_albans_school_site_1_4396197
This would provide more outdoor space for the school and would improve the view of the Pemberton building from the South and West.

An article in the Independent "Victorian school buildings: please don't destroy our heritage" states: "An estimated 3,000 schools are thought to have Victorian buildings". If Alban City School does not know how to use their Victorian building they simply have to send out 3,000 emails to get some good ideas.

Good examples of schools integrating old and new buildings well can usually be found at the best institutions. We don't have to look as far as Cambridge or Oxford but will find the same in our city. St Albans School and St Albans High School for Girls are well known for cherishing and protecting their old buildings while also combining them with wonderful new structures.

In Doc. No. 6733243 Historic England writes:
"It would be preferable to retain, refurbish and re-use the Pemberton Building for teaching and other purposes and to demolish the westernmost element of the frontage blocks. Such a strategy would provide a more varied building stock and a south-facing playground with a higher quality space and external environment for the school and enhance the conservation area."

Finally the Council's own conclusion on the later school building next to the Pemberton (from the same document as the two previous posts):
"The University of Hertfordshire complex (formerly St Albans College of Art), on Hatfield Road is the odd one out of this group; standard concrete buildings with prefabricated exposed aggregate panels, they are negative in their effect on the appearance of the Character Area, particularly within the street scene"

Further quote from the same Council document (see previous post) referring to the group of buildings including the Pemberton block:
"These buildings are in Victorian/Edwardian free style including variations of multi-red brickwork and red clay tiled roofs and one slate roof. These fine buildings contribute positively to the character of the conservation area both historically and architecturally, containing fine detailing unlikely to be repeated"

This is a quote from the Council's own document, St Albans Conservation Area Character Statement, Character Area 19:
"A small Victorian building remains hidden from Hatfield Road by the University buildings. This is the last remaining part of the former St Peter’s School and completes the social buildings of that era in this sector. Its contribution to the character of the Conservation Area is in representation of a Victorian/Edwardian School and its group value with the other social buildings of the same era."

Please see this quote from the objection letter, opposing demolition, by Penny Williams:
"They (the School) reject all their own options as being too expensive compared with demolition of the
 Pemberton, which the County Council  has pledged to pay for."
This is really strange. Shouldn't the County Council guide the School towards a "good" option as opposed to a simply "cheap" option which comes with cultural destruction?