‘Number of benefits’ to student flats

The city council describes the school’s fate as a “complex case” which involved Historic England (HE) - the government’s heritage adviser - from the outset. Spokesman Rob Davies said: “Although HE was satisfied that demolition could go ahead, we refused the planning application because of concerns over the impact of the proposed new buildings. “The appeal against the decision was considered by a government planning inspector who decided to grant permission, so the decision to approve was not made by us.

“Decisions as to whether a building should be listed are taken by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

“There was a third party request in October 2017 to list the school building, but this was rejected by the DCMS upon the advice of HE, on the grounds that the Victorian building is functional and typical of its date and demonstrates little further architectural interest or innovation. “Our position with regard to the site has remained consistent.

“The 2011 development brief for the Rhodaus Town/peugeot garage site, which includes the St Mary Bredin site, was subject to public consultation. “In that brief it stated that if the building was to be replaced, the proposed development must provide substantial public benefit that outweighs the loss of the building.

“As the planning committee report made clear, the current proposal for the site has a number of benefits, including making a significant contribution towards an unmet need for purpose-built student accommodation, which in turn reduces the pressure on the local housing stock and allows family homes to be returned to the market.”