A right to bid

FROGS are pleased with the decision to withdraw the planning application. It gives us some extra time as we develop a Charitable Trust and apply for funding in the hope of being able to bid when the school is eventually sold. It also offers space for direct dialogue with the Diocese and with senior Derbyshire County councillors about our plans, which they have so far refused. Their original planning application claimed, without any evidence, that conversion to flats was the only viable option. In spite of loads of press publicity and contact from FROGS they merely maintained that no party had come forward with any concrete offers. In the new Localism Act  the national Government recognises that every neighbourhood has buildings that play a vital role in local life and if they are sold into private use this can be a real loss to the community.But community groups often need more time to organise a bid and raise money than the private enterprises against whom they are bidding. In its 'Community Right to Bid' provision the Act, which comes into force in April, would give  FROGS the time to develop a bid and raise money to buy the school building when it comes on the open market. FROGS and over 300 supporters will  be watching to see if  the Conservative County Council  follows the lead of Government in recognising the rights and freedoms the Act offers to local people, or will it merely pay it lip service as in the original application.

Diocese pull plans

We've received the news today that the Diocese (and we suspect the County behind them) have withdrawn their planning application. We understand that this is in order to add new information before the application is re-submitted.

It's not known what this new information might be but suspect it may be to address the heritage issues more effectively so that their submission may stand a better chance of acceptance.

It's important that we continue to build support. We now have over 300 signatures to our petition and some fabulous comments on the importance of the building to local people.

With this extra time FROGS will be pressing on with the formation of a charitable trust, viability study and business plan. Watch this space!

200 signatures!!

CONGRATULATIONS all our supporters!! This morning our petition had its 200th signature! This is an amazing result in just under a week. But let's keep up the good work towards our target of 500 signatures. Please send an email to all your contacts, especially those in Glossop, reminding them about the petition and inviting them to sign if they haven't already done so.

157 signatures and counting!

Over 150 signatures on our petition! This is excellent and demonstrates the level of concern and support for the old Dukes building.Thanks also for the excellent comments which many of you have made which will include in our submission and publicity.

Let's keep up the pressure. We want to achieve our target of 500 signatures! Tell, Blog and Tweet more of your friends about the petition and invite them to sign up, especially Glossop residents and former pupils of Dukes. 


Sign the petition at https://www.change.org/petitions/frogs-petition 

101 signatures in 2 days

Amazing response to our petition and fantastic show of support for this old building. Keep up the good work - send the petition to more friends and invite them to sign.

For local people, we're on the front page of the Glossop Chronicle today. Get out and get yours before they sell out - don't forget to tell your friends, especially if they were pupils or staff at Dukes.

Duke to be Honorary President

We are delighted to announce that the Duke of Norfolk has graciously agreed to be Honorary President of the Friends of Old Glossop School thus keeping and important heritage and historical link. His ancestor Hentry Charles Howard, 13th Duke of Norfolk built and endowed the school.. One of the Duke's titles is 5th Baron Howard of Glossop.

Sign the On-Line Petition!

We have created an online petition and are looking for 500 signatures to support our opposition for planning permission to convert the school into flats - please sign up in support!

Opposition to Planning Application

Notices have just been posted advising of an application from the Derby Diocesan Board of Education to High Peak Borough Council for planning permission for a conversion of the school into four flats.

FROGS immediately issued the following press release:

FROGS OPPOSE SCHOOL PLAN

Friends of Old Glossop School (FROGS) will challenge the application for planning permission to convert  the former Duke of Norfolk School in Old Glossop into four flats.

Notes of the Meeting on 12/07/11

Welcome & introductions
Ian welcomed the 60 people present, introduced himself and explained that the aim of the meeting was looking at the possibility of acquiring the building for use by the community after the school community vacated the building, most likely in October .The Duke of Norfolk School itself was not closing but moving to a single site at Royle Avenue. 

Valuation of building

Someone at the 12/7 meeting has drawn my attention to the Report of the Deputy Director of Derbyshire CC given to Cabinet on 7th March 2011.

Licensing

Gill has done some checking on licenses, an issue raised at the 12/7 meeting. She writes:-

In simple terms as it is a community building for use by the community you could in fact apply for all the relevant licences ie entertainment, music, dancing etc,  for no cost.  The only one that would cost you would be the alcohol licence, having said that you can have 12 temporary event licences per year at the building, so should you require an alcohol licence for a particular event get the organiser to obtain it.

 

The recommendation is to go for all the licences you can that don’t cost and then get the event organiser to obtain any alcohol licence if required.

 

Welcome

The idea for FROGS came out of a public meeting on 12th July 2011 and the commitment to keep the old school building, opened in 1854, for use by the local community. 60 people attended the meeting, shared ideas about future use and 8 people have formed a Steering Group to progress the project. The first steps will be the adoption of a constitution, the appointment of officers and the start of serious fund-raising. The market value of the building could be in the region of £200,000 (see the blog under 'Valuation')..

The school building will be vacated in the autumn by the Duke of Norfolk CE Primary School moving to the single site at Royle Avenue, Glossop.

If you would like to support this venture and to receive information about progress please sign up to follow his blog or to receive email updates.