Campaigners seeking to protect a historic primary school from demolition have commissioned architects at their own expense to come up with alternative plans.
Woolmore Primary School in Poplar is set to expand its intake to cater for extra demand, prompting plans for a new replacement school to be built.
But campaigners are anxious to preserve the school in its current form, and are requesting it is added to Tower Hamlets’ list of heritage assets.
They paid from their own pocket for architects to draw up alternative plans to save the building from demolition and cater for the expansion.
Campaigner Tom Ridge said of the school: “It’s surely good enough to be cherished by the local community, added to the local list of heritage assets and refurbished by the council.
“There’s nothing else like this in London”, he added.
The future of the school is now set to be raised at a meeting of Tower Hamlets Council’s Strategic Development Committee later this month.
But Mr Ridge described the chances of the committee accepting the alternative plans he is putting forward as “touch and go”.
He said he understands the need for extra space for pupils, but wants the architectural heritage of the school to be recognised and taken into account.
It was built in 1916, and is one of just 33 schools of its style remaining.
Campaigners are urging people to sign up to the online petition to save the school building, available at: http://residents-first.co.uk/?p=1491
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