South Gloucestershire Council is currently running a public consultation regarding the proposed demolitionof the old Watermore / Brockeridge Infant School in Frampton Cotterell.
Situated opposite the parish council’s Brockeridge Centre on Woodend Road, this former school building was first erected in 1846, making it over 175 years old. The school ceased to operate on the site in 2010.
The site is Locally Listed by SGC as a non-designated heritage asset. In order to attain this status, the building was required to meet the standard of having “good quality design, historical significance or [contributing] to the character and appearance of the area”.
However, unlike statutory Listed Buildings, locally listed sites “have no additional planning controls” , although their locally listed status is to be “considered when determining the outcome of a planning application” (South Gloucestershire Council, Listed Building & Consent).
The proposal has faced much local criticism, with residents raising concerns over losing the cultural heritage of the village as well as voicing fears of over-population should the site be used to build new houses. Many have also called for the building to be repurposed rather than removed entirely.
Those in favour of the proposal, however, see value in increasing the number of affordable local houses in the face of an ongoing nation-wide housing crisis.
Public Consultation
The public consultation period for this proposal will close on Friday April 4th, 2025.
You can find this proposal and consultation on South Gloucestershire Council’s webpage, “Planning – Application Summary – Watermore Infant School“.
Alternatively, you can find this proposal and consultation via South Gloucestershire Council’s planning application search tool, using the reference P25/00620/PND.
Frampton Cotterell Parish Council encourages local people to read through this proposal and submit feedback to South Gloucestershire Council before this consultation closes. Our objections to this proposal can be read in the minutes of our Additional Parish Council Meeting – 24th March 2025.
A poster protesting the demolition proposal was put up outside the school by a member of the community.
