‘Join me on the barricades’: furious neighbours have say on private school expansion

Highgate School, in North Road, has submitted six planning applications to Haringey Council, which some villagers fear could bring 10 years of disruption and noise for villagers if they are approved.

Locals filled St Michael’s CoE Primary School’s hall on June 8 for a ‘Have Your Say’ event hosted by the Highgate Society and chaired by Hornsey & Wood Green MP Catherine West.

Adam Pettitt, headmaster of the £7,000 per term school, sat with his team as many slammed the plans and appealed for him to “rethink” them.

Proposals include the expansion of Dyne House in Southwood Lane and the science block opposite, the redevelopment of two sites on its Bishopswood Road campus and the placing of astroturf on its playing fields where temporary classrooms will be erected.

Opponents claimed the “disastrous plans” would see children taught in temporary cabins or classrooms ‘vibrating’ with construction noise, and some warned of gridlocked roads, dust, noise and the death of wildlife in the Highgate conservation area.

One audience member suggested community workshops to formulate a better plan.

Locals filled St Michael’s CoE Primary School to rail against current plans to expand the private Highgate School (Image: Nathalie Raffray)

Some were not convinced.

Adam Garfunkel, who lives in Kingsley Place and chairs Kingsley Place Residents’ Association, said they would be affected by the redevelopment of Dyne Place.

He said he had been “complaining” to the school for eight years about new roof terraces and walkways which will overlook their gardens.

He added: “It’s hard to believe another workshop, eight years after we’ve said all of this, will make the school change its plan.”

A North Road resident added: “I hope the workshops are not a PR exercise but a genuine opportunity to challenge and change your mind.”

Local historian Peter Walton added: “When the workshops are held I hope all you will come and join me on the barricades.”

Others welcomed the idea, with one woman saying: “This could see a radical change to the whole application.”

Another added: “Let’s see the fight for Haringey together.”

Adam Pettitt (centre), headteacher of Highgate School who has lodged six huge expansion planning applications not popular with the local villagers (Image: Nathalie Raffray)

At the end of the meeting, Mr Pettitt thanked everybody for coming.

Thanking Highgate Society chairman William Britain and Ms West, he added: “I can assure we do take away very seriously your idea and we have listened to what you’ve said.”

Following the meeting, Mr Britain said it was “very productive” with “lots of really good points”.

He added: “Now we need to take it forward and use the workshops to make the changes to the application.”