Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,018
What a sad reflection that KCC did not ensure building work was carried out .A stitch in time saves nine.Cheaper to replace after years of neglect.Dover suffers from years of neglect.I understand that the teaching has improved.My Grandson did well there.Still if the brains are there and the will to learnHow many more school buildings will go,to be replaced with glass kind of sheds.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
A couple of points here, firstly funding was approved 4 years ago so why has it taken so long to reach the consultation stage? Secondly who owns the land because once the original school is demolished there will be a lot to spare?
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,018
I think Howard the land will become their play area.Rather like Barton Road .
Martyn Webster- Registered: 18 Nov 2017
- Posts: 56
In reply to the question as to who owns the land,the answer is the school itself which happened when the KCC (the previous owners) devolved ownership around the year 1999 upon the school acquiring what I think is called academy status.I checked with Land Registry in 2017 only to find that the title had not been registered with them.On raising this aspect with the then headteacher at the OPA's AGM in September 2017 she averred that the school's legal people were addressing the matter but that remains to be confirmed as yet.
howard mcsweeney1 likes this
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,696
In exactly the same way as Priory Fields was subject to the planning process so will DGSB.
With regard to listing this would have made the process more complex and certainly if the conclusion is to demolish the old buildings much more difficult.
These buildings are a local landmark, but this has nothing to do with fitness for purpose, which appears to be the argument for the redevelopment. They are almost 90 years old, which is not an issue for housing, but is an issue given how teaching has changed in that time; sadly like all old school buildings they are not suitable for modern teaching practice and need to be replaced if we want to provide the best in education for the young people of the area,
Paul M likes this
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
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While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,860
Dover grammar has a lot of buildings that would be a shame to lose
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Gary39- Registered: 7 Jul 2017
- Posts: 450
The DGSB building was not in good shape when I was there in thee seventies. It will be sad to see it go but you have to consider how much it will cost to put right. As people say the building is no longer fit for purpose.
Sometimes you have to let buildings like this go.
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Martyn Webster- Registered: 18 Nov 2017
- Posts: 56
When the prodigious school on its commanding site was first opened to great fanfare on 9th December 1931 by the Duke of Kent in the presence of the boys,the teachers and a plethora of national and civic worthies,Major John Jacob Astor (who gave his name to Astor Avenue) pronounced to the assembly as follows "These buildings are destined to be far more than bricks and mortar to generations of boys to come".The founding headmaster,Fred Whitehouse,whose life creation it was, was an adherent to a maxim attributed to Winston Churchill "We shape our buildings and our buildings shape us".Res ipsa loquitur.
Karlos- Location: Dover
- Registered: 1 Oct 2012
- Posts: 2,485
Latest from the headmaster
HT Weekly Blog
Week Ending 1st March 2019
Blog Entry #16
Thank you to everybody who was able to visit the public exhibition for our proposed new school buildings which took place on Tuesday 26th February. It was great to see so many parents and carers take the time to look at our proposals and to give us their feedback. The overwhelming sentiment that came through from the event, both in conversations and from reading the feedback sheets, was that improved facilities for the students at DGSB, both present and future, are long overdue and that the proposals on display are our best chance of securing our school's long-term future.
Karlos- Location: Dover
- Registered: 1 Oct 2012
- Posts: 2,485
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Martyn Webster- Registered: 18 Nov 2017
- Posts: 56
All very interesting BUT the Business section of the Daily Telegraph of Tuesday 12th March reported by Oliver Gill the following (extract) under the headline
"Kier says accounting error to blame as it reveals extra £50m of debt to investors":
"Troubled contractor Kier shocked investors by admitting its debt pile was £50m higher than it had previously thought.
An accounting error in Kier's half-year results at the end of December meant net debt was £181m rather than £130m.
Shares closed down 12pc,wiping out some of the gains made since Kier's calamitous emergency rights issue at the end of last year.
The HS2,Crossrail and Hinkley Point C contractor said the upward loan revision related to a £40m "debt reclassification" and and a £10m increase relating to the company's hedging activities.
Some loans attached to contracts Kier wants to sell were moved into its general net debt position increasing the overall balance.
The announcement comes as Kier tries to reduce rather than increase loans on its balance sheet...
...Despite delivering a fresh shock Kier insisted yesterday it would meet expectations for the year to June saying "returns were weighted towards the second half of the financial year"
I think there is some food for thought there for all involved in the DGSB proposals.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Doesn't surprise me as they were working on the St James project. Please see post 575 on the DTIZ update thread.
Martyn Webster- Registered: 18 Nov 2017
- Posts: 56
A further flyer was put out yesterday (10th July) entitled "Public Consultation" Dover Grammar School for Boys Thursday 18th July 2019 3.30 pm to 8.00 pm at DGSB thereby giving only one week's short notice and on a date at the start of the school holidays.
Quote:
"As a member of the local community you are invited to attend an exhibition to view developed proposals for the replacement of teaching facilities at Dover Grammar School for Boys.The information will be on display at an informal drop-in exhibition where you will have an opportunity to see and comment on what has been developed to date"
An accompanying letter is signed by Martin Jones,Senior Design Manager,Kier Construction Southern whose company has been "appointed by the Department of Education and on proposals developed in consultation with DGSB,the Department of Education,Dover District and Kent County Council"
"We are holding this event because we want to hear your views and opinions on the design proposals which will be taken into account as the scheme is developed for planning"
The scheme for demolition and rebuilding will presumably have to go for local authority planning permission next - a "fait accompli"?
Martyn Webster- Registered: 18 Nov 2017
- Posts: 56
The attached planning notice of demolition and reconstruction dated 19th September 2019 flutters largely unnoticed other than by passing by on foot DGSB staff and pupils at the top gate of the school on Noah's Ark Road.Closing date for responses to KCC is 10th October 2019.It appears that the decision on the application will be made not by DDC but by KCC.Is this the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning?
Martyn Webster- Registered: 18 Nov 2017
- Posts: 56
Martyn Webster- Registered: 18 Nov 2017
- Posts: 56
Kent County Council has today announced that its Planning Applications Committee will hear the case for the demolition of the current school buildings and the construction of a new school at 10 am next Tuesday 4th December.Copies of the application papers have been released to the public also today.It is a pity that such an important local matter as this should be held in Maidstone rather than in Dover by the DDC.One would like to think that there will be at least local press coverage of the matter to offset the potential lack of awareness in the town generally
Martyn Webster- Registered: 18 Nov 2017
- Posts: 56
This should read Wednesday 4th December - apologies!
Martyn Webster- Registered: 18 Nov 2017
- Posts: 56
Reginald Barrington
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 17 Dec 2014
- Posts: 3,232
That's going to be one ugly replacement building.
Arte et Marte
Karlos- Location: Dover
- Registered: 1 Oct 2012
- Posts: 2,485
It seems the new building will be going up, unless " SUBJECT to Historic England determining that the existing school buildings are not of listable quality"
It would be nice to keep at least some part of the old buildings. The tower would be best.
Arte et Marte
