School repairs will not include bell tower removal

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School is situated next to Holy Cross Church

Plans to repair a Leicestershire school roof will no longer include the removal of a 120-year-old bell tower.

North West Leicestershire District Council had granted permission for roof repairs at Holy Cross Catholic Primary School in Whitwick.

The original application proposed to remove the school's bell tower, stating that the frame is "rotten" and the lead is "dilapidated and failing".

However, after concerns were raised by a conservation officer and members of the public, the removal of the bell tower was taken out of the proposal.

The council approved the revised plans on 28 January.

The planning officer's report raised concerns over the harm removing the bell tower would cause to the setting of the nearby Holy Cross Church and the Grade II-listed Old Convent building.

"No works are now proposed to the bell tower," the report added.

"It is considered that the revised proposal would be in keeping with the general aesthetic of the area and would not be detrimental to the character of the site or the wider area."

A document from the original planning submission from the applicant, St. Thomas Aquinas Multi Academy Trust, said "several issues with the bell tower" had caused "frequent disruption" to the operation of the school.

A report from a senior conservation officer at the council said the bell tower contributes to the local skyline.

According to the report, the officer disagreed with the survey of the tower included in the plans that said "signs of rot and splitting" are significant or that a "large number" of lead joints and seams had opened or split.