Primary relocates for new roof
When students at Lunsford Primary in Larkfield return to class in September after the summer holidays, it will be to lessons in a new school.
The whole school, in Swallow Road, will transfer to a temporary modular building in the grounds while the roof of the existing building is removed and replaced.
The roof is made of reinforced autoclave aerated concrete, a building material popular during the 1950s to 1980s, but which has since been found to have a limited life. The roof is not dangerous, rather there will be an increasing tendency for water to leak through it.
Kent County Council has two schools in the county with this type of roof - Lunsford and Birchington Primary - and has decided to replace the roof entirely rather than patch it. The cost of the Lunsford repair will be £4m. Work will start in the summer holidays, but will run over into the autumn term.
A charity is inviting people to attend a virtual talk exploring the history of cherry blossoms. The Grange, a group of three homes in Benenden and Cranbrook which support adults with learning disabilities, will welcome author Naoko Abe and horticulturalist Chris Lane to speak about Collingwood “Cherry” Ingram, who created his famous garden at the Benenden site.
He later returned a beautiful cherry blossom variety to Japan following its extinction there. It runs from 5.30pm on April 7. For tickets, £10 per household or £30 with a copy of Naoko’s book, email events@qef.org.uk.