October 29, 2019 5.11 pm This story is over 53 months old

North East Lincolnshire council’s £568k repair bill for Victorian school

It is hoped the work will kick-start the owners of other historic buildings into action
The former Holme Hill School was built in 1876-8. Photo: Geography, Jonathan Thacker

North East Lincolnshire Council is set to spend £568,000 on repairs to a former Victorian-era school.

Scrutiny and cabinet members are next week being asked to agree the spend on the Grade II Listed Holme Hill School and Education Development Centre in order to remove it from the authority’s own Heritage “At Risk” Register.

The move, the second phase of works to council-owned assets across the borough,  is part of plans to promote the “economic re-use of historic buildings” instead of replacing them with new builds.

Documents before councillors next week say the building is “in poor condition generally”, with a clock tower in a worse state, due to the building being unoccupied and not fully maintained.

“Investing in the essential repairs to remove the former Holme Hill School/ Education Development Centre (EDC) from the ‘At Risk’ Register will also result in opportunities for further investment which would allow the building to be brought back into use and fully utilised,” says the officer’s report.

“Taking action now will not only serve to support the Council in ensuring it can defend its position in respect to investment in its own portfolio but will also set the expectation to encourage other land owners in the Borough to invest in their respective property portfolio.

“This may encourage further investment by Historic England, generating further economic investment to the Borough.”

Holme Hill – the first major school in Grimsby since the 1870 education act – was built in 1876-8 by London architect Charles Bell and J.M. Thompson of Louth.

It originally accommodated 1,165 children ad cost £11,749 to build.

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