There is quite a lot of crashing and banging some days what are the noisy operations? (Packington Street)
Currently we are ‘striking’ the formwork – removing the support that holds the concrete in place until cured. This is under pressure and props need to be released with a hammer. On Packington Street the formwork will all be struck in the next few weeks and the façade will start to be enclosed.

Are there any new trees on Packington Street?
Yes – an Avenue of trees will be planted and other landscaping between the pavement and building. We will issue the landscape scheme to the Academy website in the next couple of weeks. (Drawings were available on the evening and landscape Architects in attendance)

We have noticed that some Resident Bays are being occupied with cars with ‘Teachers Parking’ permits.  How long will this continue and how many spaces will be provided in the final scheme?
LBI policy is for the development to encourage the use of public transport hence there will be 5 parking spaces including 2 disabled and 2 with electric charging points. The Academy has advised that teacher parking permits will not be provided after 2010. There is storage for 103 cycles to encourage cycling to the Academy.

What are the other parking bays on the plans?
The existing Tudor Rose Building on Raleigh Street will become the Richard Cloudsley Special Needs School from September 2011. The children arrive in minibuses at the Academy car park and bus drop off area. There are 8 minibus spaces.

Do the minibuses stay all day?
No they leave after dropping off the children and return to collect.  One bus will stay for emergency use.

Is the building we can see on Packington Street now at its full height?
Yes, on Monday 27th April we will do the last large concrete pour in this area – the roof slab. There are roof plant screens stepped back from the façade on the roof.

When does the Tower Block go and how long will this take?
The scaffold with be erected and fully enclosed with Monoflex sheeting commencing July 2010 at the start of the school holidays. The actual demolition will take about 22 weeks after the scaffold is up and soft strip of the interior complete.

When does the whole project complete?
September/October 2011.

Why so long after the tower demolition?
After the tower has gone we install the ground source boreholes. The heating and cooling of the building requires 20% to be by renewable energy (LBI Planning Req). We take energy from the heat in the ground.

The new building looks much larger than the existing – is the number of students going to increase?
No, the number of students is going down – Islington Green School had capacity for 900 students (180 x 5 year groups) whereas the Academy will have capacity of 805 (125 x 5 year groups and 90 x two post 16 year groups). Currently there are 845 students.

Can the partially constructed substation be repositioned to a different part of the site, e.g. corner of Packington Street and Prebend Street behind the Listed Mural?
The current substation (located on Rheidol Terrace) serves the academy and a large number of residential properties in the local area. To ensure no interruption to this supply Galliford Try must construct, fit out and commission a new substation before the old substation can be decommissioned. This is a requirement of EDF.

1. Corner of Packington Street and Prebend Street behind the Listed Mural- Not possible as Mural is attached to gymnasium building which will not be demolished until autumn 2010. The new supply must be in place to commission the academy in early 2010. This option would also create a protracted approvals process as English Heritage would need to be involved and agree to the substation being attached/ close to the Mural.
2. Corner of Raleigh Street and Packington Street- Not possible as this is the location for refuse storage/ collection area. The concrete supporting structure for the mechanical platform hoist has already been formed.
3. Keep in current building (Rheidol Terrace) – this would only be possible if EDF agree to redistribute the electrical load allowing the transformers to be replaced. We are currently in discussion with EDF to see if this is possible. Note this option will result in the loss of the external football pitch.
4. Corner of Rheidol Terrace and Chantry Street (current location of part built substation)-  this option is the one favored by the Project Team, LBI Planners and academy as it represents the best all round option, in as much as it:-

Are replacement trees in the footpath along Chantry Street to be included?
Could be considered following further discussion with the LBI and Client

Can additional landscape measures be included to soften the dark brick section of the Sports Hall elevation?
Could be considered following further discussion with the LBI and Client

Did the level of the sports pitches need to be raised as this increases the impact on adjacent residents?
Three sport pitches are proposed, each at different levels to respond to varying site conditions

The basketball and football courts on Raleigh Street/Chantry Street will be sunken and approximately the same level as per the existing sport pitch.

The side of the tennis courts along Rheidol Terrace is proposed to be approximately a half a meter higher then the existing footpath level. This is in order that the pitch can be accessible from the building in this location. This pitch is however set back from the street and a substantial area of lawn with tree planting will act as a green buffer between the pitch and the street.

Do you have an outline plan for the community to use the Sports Hall?
The plan for community use will need to be seen by governors prior to publication and so I would not expect this to be issued until the end of this term at the earliest. We are not proposing lettings until next April at the earliest. Outdoor spaces would be available the following year but limited during winter months.

Residents raised the issue that there were three trees within the public footpath along Chantry Street, which were removed (by Islington Council) some time before the scheme had commenced and Cllr Klute had indicated to residents that they would be replaced.  Residents felt that if new trees could be planted within the public footpath this would help soften the Sports Hall elevation. Residents also asked if there are any other measures which can be taken to soften the elevation such as the inclusion of climbing / shrub planting.

• The presence of the Sports Hall where there had been a playground before.
• The appearance of its multicoloured façade that was perceived as inappropriate in a Conservation Area.  A discussion was held on a ‘Living’ green wall.
• There was concern that the Packington Street elevation would be similar (It was explained that this was not the case.)
• The perceived inappropriateness of the whole design in the context of the conservation area.
• The (now addressed by GTC) early arrival of delivery vehicles standing outside people's houses.
• The colour and position of the substation.
• The perception that they were not consulted about the proposals for the landscaping and in particular the substation leading to the perception was that the substation move had been slipped through in an underhand way (not the case according to the planning officer, Stella Bailey)
• There were concerns that the levels of the new playground were too high above the pavements so passers-by would feel intimidated by the children.
• The same people would have preferred the older metal paling fences.

The issue with the colour of the substation brick arose from the sequence of build as the Fletton brick inner skin only has been built with the facings yet to be erected, and people thought that they were the final finish.  The renderings that we had produced (showing a red and a yellow brick alternative) convinced all that the black brick was best, but the issue is the location right on the back of pavement line.