‘Perhaps they could turn the building into a cafe/work space’ for students’

I agree with Paul Crampton that the old St Mary Bredin school building should be saved (Fears for Iron Age Fort, Gazette, August 31) as part of the student block plans at Rhodaus Town.

Guy Holloway, the architect, is being disingenuous when he gives the reason for building yet another student residential block as “the need to free up houses in residential areas”.

The reason is clearly money, pots of it. Palamon Court is advertising student rooms at “from £144 a week”, so another 150 at a rough average of £150 is a nice little earner.

I appreciate modern architecture but not at the expense of our old buildings, after all Canterbury is supposed to be a Unesco World Heritage Site.

I know it’s only a Victorian school but Christ Church has plenty more potential sites and could now endear itself to the people of Canterbury by withdrawing from this planned demolition and desecration.

Perhaps they could turn the building into a cafe/work space for the students, or donate it to Catching Lives or as a small museum to house archaeological artifacts, or offer to sell it to Wetherspoon who would do a good job turning it into a Victorian school-themed pub, but leave the old school on top of the Iron Age mound alone, stop empire building/ property development and concentrate on higher education. Hilary Spon Iffin Cottages, Iffin Lane, Canterbury

How artfully the artists impression of the student halls of residence disguises the reality (Gazette August 31).

This is a view that no one will see with mature trees breaking up the building line.

Please show the view people will see from the city wall or the ring road. Whether one approves or disapproves this new structure or its neighbouring block, can architects please be honest in presenting their plans?

I have lost count of the number of occasions when I have seen proposals for new developments showing a total absence of parked cars, no traffic, non existent gardens, and tall leafy green trees that will take 50 years to grow.

Can we please have some honesty rather than artistic licence?

Or does architectural impressionism mean the death of realism? Cllr Nick Eden-green Lib Dem Wincheap Ward

Picture: Chris Davey FM4070207 The former St Mary Bredin School