Sacred Heart School in Barrow could be demolished and rebuilt

An ‘unsafe’ and out-of-use school could be demolished and rebuilt.

Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School in Barrow was condemned in 2023, after being deemed unfit for school use.

Children and teachers have since split their time between St Bernard’s Catholic High School and temporary buildings at Sacred Heart’s site.

Plans were previously submitted to Westmorland and Furness Council asking for prior permission to demolish the main school building, presbytery and other associated structures, with the council approving them.

The application for a replacement building was then submitted, proposing to build a two-storey school structure, with communal facilities such as an assembly hall and kitchen on the ground floor and classrooms, with further classrooms and a library upstairs.

Also included would be the reconfiguration of parking provision, hard and soft landscaping and a bin store.

Now, the Barrow planning committee is set to consider whether the school should be approved on Tuesday, April 28.

The Lumley Street school was recommended for approval by a council planning officer, but they said that there are ‘outstanding issues’ in connection with ‘design, drainage and ecological mattters’.

But the officer added that permission can be granted if the development management area manager is satisfied those issues can be addressed.

Regarding the building’s appearance, the officer’s report reads: “Documents advise that the inspiration has been taken from the existing building, the adjacent church and the local context, so the majority of the façade will be constructed in red brick incorporating geometric patterns and a variety of brick bonds to create interest and reflect the local vernacular.”

But officers said the design of the building was ‘somewhat disappointing’.

The report reads: “It is neither an outstanding or innovative contemporary building, nor a traditionally designed building and as a result it falls somewhere between the two and perhaps risks appearing somewhat dated, bland and generic.”

The inclusion of public art was also suggested by officers, but with no such provision having been made to date.

The report also states that there are ‘outstanding ecology and drainage matters’ to resolve.

But the author concludes that officers are ‘hopeful’ that the outstanding matters can be resolved and the plans were recommended for approval, subject to conditions.

The Barrow-in-Furness local area planning committee will discuss the proposals at Barrow Town Hall at 10am on Tuesday.

Categories: Planning Permission