The second edition of the Draft Planning Brief for the University Business School at Milton was published in late July. It follows the decision to locate the new special school, replacing the Futcher and East Shore Schools, at the Milton campus.
The brief states that the school will be single storey and at the rear of the site; it gives some suggestions for acceptable uses of the rest. Unfortunately, Dorothy Diamond Hall and the other buildings are not listed so they could all be demolished.
Rather than waste valuable inner-city land with single storey buildings, we have asked whether the school could be accommodated in the ground floor of a multi-storey mixed use building. Upper floors would be used for offices or housing and such a building would have the advantage of being occupied when educational buildings are at their most vulnerable to vandal attack. Innovative design would keep access to the sections of the building quite separate. We would be very interested in members' views.
We disagree with the section which states that the required recreation space for housing could be wavered in favour of a financial contribution to the upkeep of Milton Park - would you really want your young children to cross the busy and hazardous Milton Road in order to ride a bicycle or kick a football?
J.H.