Former Pool School Development Guidance
Former Pool School, Church Road, Pool
Historic Environment Development Guidance
The purpose of this Guidance is to provide clarity to potential developers, and
assist in the marketing of the site to attract sensitive redevelopment proposals.
Historical context
The former Pool School in Church Road is a grade II listed building, which is
currently vacant. The site is within the Cornish Mining WHS, and the boundary is
deliberately drawn to include this site.
The village of Pool contains many historic buildings and despite modern
intervention and traffic contains remnant character of its mining past. Pool was
one of the earliest and greatest of the copper mining areas, turning to tin in the
later 19th century. It has also been shaped by both early and 19th century tin
streaming works. It is, therefore, particularly interesting because its townscape
is not only constrained but also intruded on by the mining industry. It was home
to some of the greatest of Cornwall’s engineers and was the birthplace of Richard
Trevithick. It also enjoys an unusually high survival rate of all phases of its
development.
The site is contained on all sides by a stone boundary ‘school yard’ wall, with
narrow vehicular access from Church Road. The Listed building is to the north of
the site with an imposing frontage (see description below). Adjacent to the south
is a later, more plain stone building, with granite dressings and slate roof which
is within the curtilage of the Listing.
Listed building entry
POOL SCHOOL, CHURCH ROAD
CARN BREA
1535/0/10027 CHURCH ROAD
02-SEP-03 Pool School
GV II
School; former Board school. Dated 1896. Granite rubble with grey granite
dressings. Slate roof with granite coping to gables and red clay crested
ridge tiles. White brick axial stacks with granite cornices.
PLAN: Long single storey symmetrical building with gabled classrooms at
right angles, entrances in recessed blocks to right and left of centre and
longitudinal range at rear.
Free Jacobean style.
EXTERIOR: Single storey. Symmetrical 1:1:2:1:1 bay north east front,
with flanking gables and projecting twin gables at centre with granite
dated pedimented bellcote between, over inscription panel, and hippedroof ranges to left and right of centre with dormers and doorways; the
gables have large 4- and 5-light granite mullion/transom windows with
small panes and stepped heads under hoodmoulds with ventilation slits in
gables. At rear [SW] three small gables over tall narrow windows.
INTERIOR: Classrooms have C20 suspended ceilings concealing roof
structures.
Historic Environment Policy & Information Team
Version 13/02/2016 02:06 S Thorpe
Former Pool School Development Guidance
Planning policy
The former School is included in TRIP, the adopted Masterplan for regeneration
of the area. There are existing statements in TRIP about the former School.
Extract from TRIP section 6.6 Historic Character
The former Pool School, immediately adjacent to the site is listed Grade 2.
TRIP includes the school in the defined area of Trevenson Park North and
the buildings have been acquired by English Partnerships for conversion to
residential use. They are excluded from the outline planning application as
residential conversion requires separate change of use and Listed Building
consents. In compliance with Structure Plan Policy 2 (Character Areas) and
Draft Local Plan Policy B.EN 9 (Listed Buildings) the outline application
takes full account of the setting of the listed buildings by protecting the
integrity of the boundary walls and playgrounds and ensuring that houses
adjacent to the school will be of an appropriate scale relative to the older
buildings.
Only a small part of the Trevenson Park North application site lies within
the boundary of the WHS namely the frontage to Church Road containing
the former Pool School. This designation places the onus on the applicant
to demonstrate how the proposed scheme will enhance the character of
the WHS.
The Design & Access Statements explains how the proposed layout has
been designed to reflect the historic residential character of the area and
to ensure that the development will enhance the setting of Church Road
and the surrounding area through the use of a traditional housing layout,
the protection of views and historic landscape features and the adoption of
design codes that specify building styles and materials appropriate to the
character of the area. The combination of carefully designed layout,
building styles and control over materials and soft landscaping will ensure
that the development has a character that adds considerable value to the
WHS designation, demonstrating how a modern development can adapt
traditional designs and techniques to the requirements of 21st Century
living.
Extract from TRIP Site specific actions
A range of new housing will be provided, including student housing units
and an interspersion of affordable housing, close to the community heart
of Pool and its key facilities including Pool school, with pedestrian friendly
design and strong linkages to other areas of Pool. The reuse of the Listed
Buildings of the former school as residential units, or potentially for
community use, will bring them back in to use and support their long term
upkeep.
The redundant Pool School Listed buildings need to be brought back into
use quickly to avoid potential vandalism.
Historic Environment Policy & Information Team
Version 13/02/2016 02:06 S Thorpe
Former Pool School Development Guidance
Historic Environment Guidance
 We are committed to bringing under-used and vacant historic buildings
into use and will support proposals which achieve this while retaining the
significance of the heritage asset.

The character and special quality of the Listed building must be retained
through the conservation and adaption to new uses.

There is no preference for lateral or horizontal conversion and architects
are free to propose solutions.

There is flexibility on acceptable uses, provided that the character of the
Listed building is retained. TRIP zones the former School for residential
use and this is acceptable. TRIP also raises the possibility of community
use which would also be acceptable. Office conversion would also be
acceptable.

The south-eastern building is within the curtilage of the Listed building and
should be retained.

The boundary walls enclose the whole site and should remain as part of
the character and setting of the Listed building. However, it is desirable to
create pedestrian and cycle permeability into the adjoining Trevenson
Road North scheme, and appropriate new openings to achieve this could
be acceptable.

Use of the former school yard for parking and amenity space would be
acceptable.

Guidance on submitting a Listed building application is available on our
website http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=2434 including
contact details for Conservation Officers in west Cornwall.

We are happy to give pre-application advice through the formal channels.
Enquiries should be sent to planning.west@cornwall.gov.uk.
Historic Environment Policy & Information Team
Version 13/02/2016 02:06 S Thorpe