Race to save the 'crumbling' former Wintringham Grammar School building in Grimsby
COUNCIL chiefs are in a race against time to preserve one of Grimsby's most iconic buildings.
Fears grew for its survival as experts assessed the "crumbling" former Wintringham Grammar School in Eleanor Street for damage yesterday.
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Under threat: The former technical school, art school and grammar school in Eleanor Street, Grimsby, is surveyed for wind damage. Picture: Abby Ruston
Although it is a listed building and privately-owned, there are growing concerns about public safety and emergency repairs may have to be carried out by North East Lincolnshire Council.
Built nearly 120 years ago, the building, which later became part of Grimsby School of Art, has been redundant for about 20 years.
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The site was Grimsby Technical School from 1953 to 1981 and then became Grimsby School of Art, which closed in the mid-1990s.
There were plans to convert the listed building into flats, but it never came to fruition, and the site is frequently vandalised.
The problem has become so bad, nearby residents claim their homes have been devalued, although this has not been officially confirmed.
North East Lincolnshire Council's head of development, Jason Longhurst, said there are concerns over its condition within the conservation area.
He said: "We have written to the owner on a number of occasions to try to resolve the situation, but without success.
"Now we're having to look ourselves to see if any emergency repairs are required and what steps we need to take to move the issue forward."
Grimsby, Cleethorpes and District Civic Society member and historian Ernie Brown said: "I think it has gone too far now. If a developer were interested in it they would have to demolish the school first and use the site.
"The structure is crumbling and has been exposed to the elements.
That is a shame but it is due to years of neglect. I have watched the deterioration day after day when walking past."
Former pupil and organiser of the annual Wintringham School reunions Audrey Eastcrabbe, 81, said: "I echo the feelings of my former schoolfriend Betty Broxholme when she wrote to the Telegraph stating how mortified she was at the state of the old school. She was utterly amazed as to why it has been left as such an eyesore. She found this so upsetting.
"It was such a wonderful atmosphere in the school, even though it was wartime. It was the most amazing school with the most amazing staff.
"It was big enough to teach 900 students and was the second largest co-educational school in England in the mid-Thirties."
Former Grimsby School of Art lecturer Alf Ludlam said: "It is too late to save it. It has been empty for so long. When we left it in 1991 it was perfectly serviceable. Since then it has needed constant work to it, but it was serviceable."
He hoped someone would step in to restore the former school in the same way as the old county court in Brighowgate was saved from demolition.
Comments
by Leveret2
Thursday, October 11 2012, 9:52PM
“As in, "Laiter! This chicken is rubbery!"”
by Grimlander
Thursday, October 11 2012, 6:12PM
“Rike i', Revere' -- rubbery!”
by jack_knife
Thursday, October 11 2012, 5:53PM
“Grim,
NO, I don't get it. And I don't like "quotes" being attributed to me when I didn't make them.
I did NOT make that comment, so they were NOT "to use your words." For you to say they were, IS NO JOKE TO ME!
In fact, I don't know why you even included me in your rant about s_pike, old chappy.
Gotta go now, tea is ready, only enough for one, and you ain't the one. Now THATS a joke.”
by Leveret2
Thursday, October 11 2012, 5:45PM
“Sirry irior!”
by Grimlander
Thursday, October 11 2012, 5:25PM
“Dear doG! Jack! Dontcha-geddit!!??
Biter bit!! It's a wind-up!
Jëëëz!”
by jack_knife
Thursday, October 11 2012, 5:09PM
“Grim the troll,
I note that you can't and don't admit you are wrong in the last line of your drivel, in your 8 Oct 12-12pm post. How ignorant of you, old chappy.
If you can't admit when you are wrong, don't attribute "quotes" to people that have not made that quote. In other words, get your facts right first.”
by Grimlander
Thursday, October 11 2012, 8:49AM
“Before I go on TO trying to ensure NE£incs performs its proper duty in the conservation of ALL of our remaining architectural heritage, I thought you might like to read what High Peak Borough Council says about ITS interest and DUTY in this regard:
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***It is a statutory duty of the council to ensure that all works to listed buildings preserves their special historic or architectural character. Any demolition, extensions or, alterations that affect the character will require prior Listed Building Consent. This may include some internal alterations and certain repairs and maintenance works.
It is not the intention of listing to prevent any alterations or changes to a building, but to ensure that if works are carried out they respect the building's historic and architectural character. There will, however, be A STRONG PRESUMPTION IN FAVOUR OF PRESERVATION AND MINIMISING ANY DISTURBANCE TO THE BUILDING. It is an offence to carry out any of these works to a listed building without Listed Building Consent and the council may take action against any unauthorised works.***
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Do YOU think that NE£incs councillors and highly paid servants carry out their statutory duty in this respect???
Take a walk down Eleanor-st. Ask also why NE£incs Council hasn't yet taken ABP to task re ice factories. There is a list of Listed Buildings, believe it or not. Too many of them in N.E. Lincolnshire are SHAMEFULLY dilapidated. who IS REMISS??”
by Grimlander
Thursday, October 11 2012, 8:15AM
“QUOTE:
***by s_pike
Friday, October 5 2012, 6:39PM
"Line a fleet of bulldozers up facing North along Ellis Way from the railway bridge and Eleanor Street to Convamore Road and drive them North until the ice factory is also a pile of rubble.
Heritage, wotaloadarubbish, wotaloadarubbish...
Sick of heritage and I don't want to waste my money on it.
***SICK OF HERITAGE AND I DON'T WANT TO WASTE MY MONEY ON IT."***
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FOLLOWED BY:
**Bizarre57
Friday, October 5 2012, 6:53PM
"Please do not feed the ( s_pike) troll...."
Can't resist it sometimes. It "brings out the best in them!!"
Yrs aye...
*The useless old codger of failing memory*
-----------------------------------
PS: To whom does this refer?...
by alberts_quare
Sunday, October 7 2012, 5:59PM
"You may find the fish doing his work in other parts of the country.
You can be sure it's him; he leaves his multiple red arrow trade mark wherever he goes.....
http://tinyurl.com/6qkmqsw"
-- and now for something else. Anything's more rewarding than responding to e-trolls [except writing to our council servants, re FoI] and a spot more correspondence with English Heritage and the necessary government departments re NE£incs's record in safeguarding listed buildings won't go amiss...”
by jack_knife
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 8:46PM
“Grim,
I have not used the words, "don't waste money on it" either on this thread or in my post about the No. 12 bus, which was NOT on this thread, it was on the Forum pages. So get your facts right and keep on dreaming of the PS Lincoln Castle and the other wreck, it might, with luck keep you off this forum for a (long) while, old chappy.
btw, The meeting last night was VERY WELL attended, standing room only with some people even having to stand outside of the room. Well done to those that attended.”
by Grimlander
Monday, October 08 2012, 12:12PM
“Remember this, chaps, a propos our architectural and social/educational heritage -- earlier on this thread -- apparently from...
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¶¶ s_pike
¶¶ Friday, October 5 2012, 6:39PM
¶¶ "Line a fleet of bulldozers up facing North along Ellis Way from the railway bridge and Eleanor Street to Convamore Road and drive them North until the ice factory is also a pile of rubble... Sick of heritage and I don't want to waste my money on it." ¶¶
Well, now it might want us to rally round its buses -- or so it seems:
http://tinyurl.com/9dpyn2c
¶¶ Sunday, October 07 2012
¶¶ ...ALL users of the number 12 bus should attend the meeting at the Annie Chapple Centre, Belvoir Rd, Cleethorpes, at 6-30pm...
¶¶ PLEASE try and get there."
¶¶ Profile image for jack_knife By jack_knife
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Well, lets feed it a bit. How about a response like:
§§ Line 'em all up and drive 'em in convoy to a scrapyard and get rid of the lot. Those 'ally' bodies and the scrap iron and 'ally' in the engines, gearboxes and transmissions would fetch a fortune -- and all those big tires would grind up a treat for soft areas round the kiddies' play-machines.
§§ Go to it, 'jack_ -- WE're all right!! "Don't waste money on it" to use your words! §§”