Green light for new school at West Ealing’s £155m Green Man Lane regeneration

The £155m transformation of West Ealing’s Green Man Lane estate, led by joint developers Rydon and A2Dominion, has been given a further boost with the go-ahead to construct a brand new building for St. John’s Primary School as part of the expansion of the school and the estate’s continued redevelopment.

Ealing Council planners unanimously approved proposals to completely rebuild St John’s Primary School, a popular and well regarded local school that has seen its headcount continue to grow in recent years. The old building will be replaced with a larger, modern, three form entry school designed by architecture and design practice Conran and Partners.

Land adjacent to the school has been allocated for the new facility, enabling the existing St John’s Primary School to remain fully open throughout construction and for a smooth transition to the new premises for the start of the 2017/18 academic year.

Funding will be provided by Ealing Council and is being subsidised by releasing the school site to Rydon and A2Dominion for development, providing a further 55 new private sale homes, as part of an additional phase of the Green Man Lane redevelopment. The permission includes 37 affordable homes that will form part of the Green Man Lane estate.

When full, the new building will provide places for 630 pupils, 210 more than the existing facility, plus an expanded 100 place nursery and provision for 25 pupils from across the borough with speech and language difficulties. There will also be a rooftop play area as part of the three storey development.

Councillor Binda Rai, cabinet member for children and young people, said: “Ealing Council is committed to providing a good quality education for local children and this investment in the rebuild and expansion of St John’s Primary is the latest in a long line of projects designed to ensure that we have sufficient places to meet the needs of our growing population.

“Our children and school staff deserve the best and the designs of two of our local schools were recently judged amongst the best in London by the Royal Institute of British Architects. I am pleased to say that the St John’s project is following in their footsteps with plans for an innovative rooftop playground design and a modern and bright learning environment.”

Tom Rigby, Development Director of Rydon Construction, commented:

“Green Man Lane’s innovative regeneration is providing high quality homes, community space and now a much bigger and better new school building for West Ealing. The funds generated by the release of the additional housing land will ensure St John’s Primary School can accommodate the growing and diverse needs of the local community, whilst providing good value for Ealing Council.”

David Price, A2Dominion Regeneration Director, said: “We are pleased to be able to build on the early success of the regeneration scheme by also helping to deliver a new primary school building that will give even more children from the neighbourhood a first class start to their education. That we can do this without interrupting the operation of St. John’s Primary School in their existing building, is a testament to the creativity and flexibility of everyone involved.”

The regeneration of Green Man Lane is a nine year, five phase project replacing 464 flats with a mix of 770 one to four bedroom homes, each with generous living spaces. The project also brings communal facilities including an art cafe, eco-friendly energy centre, public parks, play areas and landscaped piazzas.

Work to Phase two is currently underway, delivering 187 new private sale and affordable homes, including over 20 homes for wheelchair users.

Lee Davies, director of Conran and Partners and the architect of the new Green Man Lane community, said: “The neighbourhood will now get a modern building that will give local children the very best place to learn and will play a central role in the life of the community.

“We spent a lot of time listening and developing ideas in partnership with the school to give pupils and staff something that both reflects and adds to the great vibrancy and energy of the area.”

The architecture and design practice, founded by Sir Terence Conran, has brought its respected ideals of design to create a bright, modern centre of learning for young people.

Conran and Partners design incorporates a natural palette of quality materials that matches the school’s desire for a building to provide a true backdrop for the colour and vibrancy of the children and their work.

For more information on Green Man Lane’s regeneration, please visit www.greenmanlane.co.uk.

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