The proposals for Phoenix Academy by the White City Estate would see more than 300 new homes built alongside a refurbishment of the school
A West London residents’ association has garnered hundreds of signatures as it petitions against the proposed redevelopment of a local school. The plans for Phoenix Academy by the White City Estate, owned by Future Academies, outline the intended construction of more than 300 new homes alongside a major refurbishment of the site.
The Wormholt Residents Association (WRA), which has previously spoken against the proposed scheme, has now gathered 717 signatures supporting its objection. Nicki McElligott, Chair of the association, and Julian Vallis, Treasurer, were joined by other residents earlier this week to hand in the petition to Hammersmith and Fulham Council.
Mr Vallis told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the community felt they had not been listened to by Future Academies and that there is no good justification for the scale of the redevelopment proposed. A spokesperson for Future Academies said they believe the scheme will not only improve the school but also deliver “lasting benefits for the wider community it proudly serves”.
Future Academies, in partnership with developer London Square, filed its application with Hammersmith and Fulham Council last year.
Phoenix Academy is an ‘Outstanding’-rated school in the north of the borough. It is a coeducational secondary provision and sixth form consisting of a range of buildings constructed between the 1950s and 2010s. In planning documents it is stated that Future Academies took over the school in 2016.
A maintenance backlog which mainly pre-dates Future Academies’ involvement has built up over the years, with a comprehensive refurbishment estimated to cost between £30 million and £40m. If approved the redevelopment would see works to the school including a new sports hall, library and music studios, in addition to the 307 homes.
It would affect the site’s western collection of buildings, which the school has described as “outdated, underused and unsafe”. The new buildings would consist of four education blocks up to four storeys tall and six residential, up to eight storeys.
Of the homes planned 90 are to be affordable, all of which will be for social rent. In its objection, shared with the LDRS, the Wormholt Residents Association raised a number of issues it believes should warrant the application being refused.
These include an anticipated harm to heritage, due to the size of the proposed buildings in a conservation area, safeguarding issues as a result of potential surveillance from the site into nearby schools, and procedural failures, with the association describing the consultation process as a ‘sham’.
Two alternatives are also detailed, one of which would involve “a strategic linked-site merger with White City Central”, a scheme approved by the council last April.
Speaking at the submission of the petition to the local authority Mr Vallis told the LDRS the fundamental concern is the scheme’s size. “It’s more than 30 metres high,” he said, “which is more than twice as high than even the tallest building in the conservation area. It’s higher than Wormwood Scrubs Prison. So it’s enormous.”
He added the association is not against development but that it must be “sensitive to the community”. Ms McElligott, who did much of the door-knocking seeking support for the objection, said 75/80 per cent of people she spoke to were not aware of the scheme.
“These were people maybe two roads away from the school,” she said. “They had no idea this was about to happen or why. They’d not heard anything. Even parents from Phoenix school were misinformed.”
Ms McElligott said residents were concerned about how existing services would cope with additional homes, with limited car parking spaces and doctor appointments already lacking. The pair added there were a series of issues with the way the consultations were conducted.
One point of contention they noted was that a September ‘follow-up’ event, pitched as a gesture of goodwill by Future Academies to engage with the community, had only come about due to the association’s lobbying. In their objection they wrote: “Many local residents were away or on holiday during the July exhibitions and were effectively disenfranchised from the initial process. The community had to lobby for the right to be heard in September.”
Labour councillor Nicole Trehy, a representative of the Wormholt ward, was also present at the handing-in of the petition. Cllr Trehy sits on the planning committee which will decide the application, though has made clear she will recuse herself from the relevant meeting.
‘Lasting benefits for the wider community’
A spokesperson for Future Academies said they are working to deliver a “transformational redevelopment” of the school site. They added it will provide “modern, high‑quality teaching, learning, and recreation spaces that reflect the school’s ambition for every child who walks through its doors”.
The spokesperson continued: “We are determined to ensure that the facilities match the first-class education that Phoenix Academy already provides.
“The recent ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted grading is a testament to the dedication of teaching staff and the achievements of the academy’s pupils. To maintain this standard of excellence for decades to come, investment must be made into the facilities so that they are fit for purpose for the next 50 years.
“As part of this wider regeneration, the project will also deliver 90 new affordable homes, badly needed at a time when London faces an unprecedented housing crisis.
“In Hammersmith and Fulham alone, more than 1,300 households are currently living in temporary accommodation. This development will play a vital role in supporting local families in need.
“The team have worked meticulously to design proposals that deliver on the school’s educational vision, provide high‑quality affordable housing, and meet the highest standards of architecture and urban design. Crucially, the plans ensure that pupils’ education will continue uninterrupted throughout the process, with their safety and wellbeing fully protected at all times.
“Phoenix Academy has been part of this community for more than 30 years. We firmly believe these proposals will not only secure the long‑term success of Phoenix Academy but also provide lasting benefits for the wider community it proudly serves.”
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