Allerton Grange School

[Brunel]

ROUNDHAY PLANNING FORUM A voluntary organisation serving Roundhay residents 2nd November 2009 One of our Forum Management Committee members has asked me to send a note to say that Allerton Grange School are holding a 'Community Open Day' on Saturday 7 November 2009 from 9.00 am until 12.00 noon to give local residents and former students an opportunity to see the new school buildings and facilities (built under the Building Schools for the Future Programme). The school has a BRE Environmental Assessment Model (BREEAM) Rating of Excellent (which makes it one of the most sustainable buildings in Leeds!). See link below for more info:- http://www.allertongrange.org/Communityopenday / I expect that the many former students amongst you will want to visit but also other interested residents will want to see an example of the involvement of the PFI - Public Finance Initiative - in school building. While you might be impressed by the new school you might wonder what has happened to the all-weather running track. Regrettably it's gone and now the only all weather training tracks are far from Roundhay Ward. On the positive side, the area down the west side of the grounds will be developed as a new public green space. If you've watched the redevelopment of Roundhay School in a PFI, you will know that the Mansion Stable Block - shamefully neglected by LCC over the years - was demolished despite being in a Conservation Area and being a relict part of the 19th century landscape of Roundhay. Similarly you will have been dismayed to see the vandalising, through theft, of the beautiful roof of Lobb Cottage, which was a wonderful example of the quality of Oakwoods stonemasons. Such buildings are not of interest to PFI construction companies. I mention this because the old gatehouse to Allerton Hall is a similarly neglected building. Watch it fall to bits by neglect. So go to see the positives but don't be blind to the negatives. Yours sincerely, Lynton Incoll Secretary,