A DEVELOPER'S bid to partially demolish the Victorian former Clifton Street School has been thrown out.

Borough councillors have welcomed the decision by planning officers and urged the authority to take stronger action against the developer.

Sukhvir Mander had applied for planning permission to knock down the 15-metre front of the Radnor Street building.

Demolition work started in February 2018, with Mr Mander under the impression he already had planning permission to knock down part of the former school. But work was stopped by the council and a retrospective application was blocked by councillors in June last year.

Now, planning officers have refused a second attempt by Mr Mander to partially demolish the frontage.

Richard Ben, head of planning, said in a refusal notice that the proposed development would have resulted in the loss of a building of local significance and the harm caused would not be outweighed by any benefits to the public from the scheme.

Patrick Herring, vice-chairman of South Swindon Parish Council’s planning committee and a parish councillor for the area, said: “The school is a much-loved part of our local heritage and these repeated attempts to demolish it are an act of vandalism. I’m glad that the council has rejected this application, and it was hard to imagine it was ever in question.

“Now this application is dealt with, the council must pursue enforcement action to get this building protected and restored as quickly as possible.”

The Adver approached planning consultant DPDS for comment.

Previously, the firm has said on behalf of its client that Mr Mander already has permission for the conversion of the whole of the former school building to residential use.

“The smaller building facing Radnor Street does not easily lend itself to conversion for residential purposes and our client’s proposal is to replace it with a new terraced building that is designed to blend with the architectural style of existing residential properties in Radnor Street immediately adjacent to the site.

“This proposal has much to commend it, not least by delivering much-needed residential units.”