Ashmount School Consultation

The outcome of the Ashmount School consultation and proposed next steps

Parents and residents were consulted on three possible solutions to the current problems of the school building between 7 December 2006 and 31 January 2007. They were asked for their views on refurbishing the school, or building a new school in the same place, or relocating the school to nearby Crouch Hill.

The results of the consultation show that there is strong community support for the relocation option. 502 responses to the survey were received from people living around the school and the Crouch Hill site. 

In summary, the consultation results were:

• 66% or two thirds of respondents favour relocation to the Crouch Hill site, and 34% or one third want the school to remain at the current site.

• 40% of respondents have children at the school. Of those with children at the school currently 90% want the school to relocate.

• 60% of respondents do not have children at the school. Opinion in this group is split with 47% favouring relocation and 52% preferring the school to remain at the current site.

• Among those who want the school to remain on the current site, opinion is split with 52% opting for refurbishment of the school and 44% preferring a new building on the site. The remaining 4% did not express a view.

The consultation results also reveal support for retaining the existing school buildings and concerns about the impact on the Ashmount Road area if the school site is sold for residential development.

Respondents who like the design of the existing school building have presented a case that Ashmount School has the capacity to be sensitively refurbished and there may be solutions to the current condition and suitability problems that Islington Council has not fully investigated.

In order to make a case for developing on Metropolitan Open Land at Crouch Hill, Islington Council must demonstrate to the Mayor of London that it is not feasible to retain the school on the current site. Feasibility work to date supports the case for the relocation but further evaluation of the refurbishment option is essential to reach a sound conclusion.

Islington Council will now commission detailed plans for a ‘green’ school building and improvements to the quality of the open space at the Crouch Hill site. At the same time, Islington Council will commission further studies of the existing school building.