An 'Outstanding'-rated secondary school in West London has submitted ambitious plans to construct over 300 new homes on its site, with the profits funding a multi-million-pound refurbishment of its ageing facilities.
A Funding Solution for a £40m Overhaul
Phoenix Academy, located by the White City Estate in Hammersmith and Fulham, is owned by the Future Academies Trust. The Trust has lodged a formal application with Hammersmith and Fulham Council to redevelop the school's western campus, which it describes as "outdated, underused and unsafe".
The driving force behind the scheme is a significant maintenance backlog, estimated to cost between £30 million and £40 million to rectify. Future Academies stated that after taking over the school in 2016, it sought public funding from bodies like the Department for Education and the local council but was unsuccessful.
"Without external funding, the Trust is unable to afford the cost of the significant historic backlog," planning documents confirm. The proposed solution is a partnership with developer London Square to build residential units, with the revenue financing the school's transformation.
Plans for New Homes and School Facilities
The application outlines the construction of 307 new homes across six residential blocks, with heights reaching up to eight storeys. Of these, 90 will be designated as affordable housing, all for social rent.
Concurrently, the school itself would undergo a major upgrade, gaining:
- A new sports hall
- A new library
- New music studios
The educational buildings would be housed in four new blocks up to four storeys tall, replacing the existing 1950s-2010s structures on the western part of the site.
Local Residents Voice Scale Concerns
The proposal has not been met with universal approval. The Wormholt Residents Association has expressed significant concerns, primarily focused on the scale and density of the new buildings.
Following a local survey which received 88 responses, the association reported that 68% of respondents opposed the Phoenix Academy plans. Key worries include added stress on local resources, disruption from construction, loss of community space, and impacts on quality of life.
Julian Vallis, Treasurer of the group, emphasised that the reaction is not a simple case of 'NIMBYism'. "Residents are pragmatic in wanting to ensure it's all in keeping and sensitive to the local area," he said. The consensus is that the development is "just too big," with residents preferring buildings reduced to around three storeys to match the existing school and local conservation area character.
A spokesperson for Future Academies told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Our goal is to deliver improved teaching and recreation spaces for our pupils... We look forward to working with local stakeholders to bring these ambitious plans to fruition."
The scheme mirrors a similar Community Schools Programme initiative approved for Avonmore Primary School and Nursery last year, where new housing will fund a state-of-the-art replacement school. The council's decision on the Phoenix Academy plans is now awaited.
