Homes to be built on old school site in Shoebury

The old Hinguar Primary School The old Hinguar Primary School

THE historic frontage of an old primary school will be preserved as part of a new housing development.

The Echo can reveal Tory chiefs at Southend Council have offered a property investor with a £6billion portfolio the first option to build on the former Hinguar Primary School site in Shoebury.

The authority has also reached a similar agreement with the same developer on a patch of derelict industrial land off Progress Road, Southend, which will be used for new offices.

However, it is the deal to protect the Victorian frontage of Hinguar, which stirred up a bitter battle between Independent campaigners and Tory sceptics last year, which has sparked the biggest celebrations.

Anne Chalk, an Independent councillor for Shoebury who led the bid to preserve the school, said: “It is a real success.

“Obviously we wanted to save the entire building, but that was not possible because a deal had already been done to sell the land.

“So, given the circumstances, saving the frontage is a real victory.”

Hinguar and the industrial centre land, which is at the end of Brunel Road, will be the first two sites targeted by the council under its partnership with BV Strategies.

The property investment firm agreed to set up a limited liability partnership with the authority last year, effectively creating a new development company split 50-50 between them.

BV will be responsible for pouring cash into the schemes, while the council will offer help in shaping a proposal likely to get the green light from the authority’s development control committee.

Once the projects are completed, the council will receive half of the profits from the sites, in the form of house sales or office rents However, when the partnership was formed last year, it was thought most of the sites earmarked for development would be in the town centre - part of the council’s £300million vision for regenerating the heart of the town.

Any schemes will still need to secure planning permission - and the consent of the full council at its meeting on December 13 - before they can go ahead.

Nigel Holdcroft, the Tory council leader, said: “We hope that, in the future, this partnership will provide an effective vehicle for a number of sites in the town centre, but initially we are looking to advance these two sites, which are in our ownership and which provide reasonably straightforward schemes.

“We are an equal partner in this partnership and have complete control over which of our sites we feel should be considered by it.”

Comments(14)

Shoebury_Cyclist says...
8:41am Thu 15 Nov 12

Will this historic frontage be 'preserved' as well as the historic frontage of the old Shoebury cinema was 'preserved'? It was knocked down.

Brunning999 says...
8:52am Thu 15 Nov 12

A six billion portfolio oh yes!

Was that before the collapse?

bex_pheebs says...
9:25am Thu 15 Nov 12

I'm devastated. This was my school and the only school I actually ever liked!

Fingers crossed I would have moved by the time this happens so I don't have the view of houses out my window instead of my childhood memories!

Olivia2847 says...
9:58am Thu 15 Nov 12

I thought we were short of schools? Why can't Sacred Heart move there?

shoebury52 says...
10:29am Thu 15 Nov 12

Olivia2847 wrote:
I thought we were short of schools? Why can't Sacred Heart move there?
The school was run down and was deemed not fit for purpose and with the growing number of children in the area was to small.

Olivia2847 says...
2:04pm Thu 15 Nov 12

shoebury52 wrote:
Olivia2847 wrote:
I thought we were short of schools? Why can't Sacred Heart move there?
The school was run down and was deemed not fit for purpose and with the growing number of children in the area was to small.
Faith schools such as S Heart have no catchment areas and a six figure sum has just been spent to knock down perfectly habitable homes .....

rjsizzler says...
3:20pm Thu 15 Nov 12

bex_pheebs wrote:
I'm devastated. This was my school and the only school I actually ever liked!

Fingers crossed I would have moved by the time this happens so I don't have the view of houses out my window instead of my childhood memories!
I think that's sort of the point - that the frontage will be retained so you don't have a view of houses...

Olivia2847 says...
4:48pm Thu 15 Nov 12

rjsizzler wrote:
bex_pheebs wrote:
I'm devastated. This was my school and the only school I actually ever liked!

Fingers crossed I would have moved by the time this happens so I don't have the view of houses out my window instead of my childhood memories!
I think that's sort of the point - that the frontage will be retained so you don't have a view of houses...
What?

John T Pharro says...
5:07pm Thu 15 Nov 12

"Equal partner in this partnership", does that mean an equal share of the profits?

rjsizzler says...
6:31pm Thu 15 Nov 12

Olivia2847 wrote:
rjsizzler wrote:
bex_pheebs wrote:
I'm devastated. This was my school and the only school I actually ever liked!

Fingers crossed I would have moved by the time this happens so I don't have the view of houses out my window instead of my childhood memories!
I think that's sort of the point - that the frontage will be retained so you don't have a view of houses...
What?
What don't you understand?

bex_pheebs says...
6:40pm Thu 15 Nov 12

If they build on the current playground, I'd still see them..

bigmak says...
8:30pm Thu 15 Nov 12

Open your eyes Shoebury Cyclist, the old cinema was 'Gerry built' and collapsed when the side walls were moved, they have replaced it with a great copy, one that is properly built, looks the same and will last. You have such a miserable negative outlook on everything and seem to believe that the troubles of the world can be blamed on anybody whose views are even slightly to right of communism, why don't you stand in a local election on your own manifesto and if you don't get any support, and you won't, leave the rest of us in Shoebury to try to enjoy living in a great place and one that some of us believe will get even better. I.e, put up or shut up........

jayman says...
9:25pm Thu 15 Nov 12

dear echo...

when highlighting a company or Business entity in a news story please note that describing a company as 'BV' is not descriptive of a company, limited company, partnership or sole trading business.

I shall do your work for you anyway..

'BV strategies' or BV Strategies Facilitating Limited, has recently been selected by Southend council in a 300 million pound financing deal for (as yet undisclosed) redevelopment of Southend. It is thought that this may include a series of compulsory purchase orders of a number of properties around the borough. also included in the spending are a set of (yet more) capital spends. BV Strategies Facilitating Limited will be major stakeholders in the future of Southend and will be able to work with Southend council to secure massive... And i do mean massive! profit. any losses BV may incur will be underwrote by Southend council ie taxpayers ie us. despite this recent activity the council have had dealings with BVSF ltd for some time..

http://www.creditgat
e.com/company_inform
ation/b+v+strategies
+facilitating+limite
d.aspx

a list of company directors for your information.. curtsy of jayman.

on an unrelated note. anyone remember this nonsense

http://www.greyboxde
sign.com/work_ranais
sance_southend.html

good night..

mys842 says...
10:11pm Thu 15 Nov 12

bigmak wrote:
Open your eyes Shoebury Cyclist, the old cinema was 'Gerry built' and collapsed when the side walls were moved, they have replaced it with a great copy, one that is properly built, looks the same and will last. You have such a miserable negative outlook on everything and seem to believe that the troubles of the world can be blamed on anybody whose views are even slightly to right of communism, why don't you stand in a local election on your own manifesto and if you don't get any support, and you won't, leave the rest of us in Shoebury to try to enjoy living in a great place and one that some of us believe will get even better. I.e, put up or shut up........
Totally agree! Real progress has been made in Shoebury over the past few years.

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