Buildings: Shipton Street School
Update: 2005
Update: 2005
The old school building has now been sold and plans put forward for its redevelopment. See the local press article.
Shipton Street School has been empty for a few years. Its windows are boarded up, and weeds grow in its abandoned playground. It was recently the subject of major controversy, as the Arc Light project for the homeless, currently based in Leeman Road, wanted to relocate here.
I live quite close to Shipton Street School, and have been sad to see it left empty for so long. When I heard about the Arc Light plans I was interested to hear that a local organisation had found a use for it. It seemed logical - here's a large empty building, and there are homeless people who need a roof over their heads. I was quite pleased. It appears that hardly anyone else was pleased. Indeed the people of Clifton were about as far from pleased as it's possible to be.
The protestors won. The Arc Light isn't moving to Shipton Street School, and its windows remain boarded up. The council, who own it, are now going to sell it, probably for housing.
The Arc Light is a hostel for the homeless, and as part of its work it obviously also tackles some of the issues involved, in particular, alchohol and drug abuse problems. It has been awarded government funding to develop a new, better-equipped centre. Its current premises are inadequate and it needs to relocate soon. The Shipton Street School building was the preferred location.
It is obviously a well-managed project at present, hence the funding to expand its work. Yet however well-managed it is, many people here in Clifton didn't want it on their doorstep. And expressed their views strongly, in letters to the local paper. I will leave it to someone who knows about the work of the Arc Light to express concerns that many of us had:
'The language used in some letters denigrates homeless people with whom I have worked in York for 12 years. Many of those who come to Arc Light seek to turn around their lives. Arc Light's work enables them to do that.
Heaping abuse upon those seeking help is based on assumptions which I recognise as disturbingly prejudiced.'
Prejudice blurs Arc Light aims - from www.thisisyork.co.uk
The school was designed by the architect Brierley, and is, according to the Pevsner guide, 'an excellent early work' from this architect. Brierley also designed the much-admired Scarcroft Road School, and many other school buildings of the period, including Park Grove and Fishergate.
'The earlier board schools are no doubt inspired by the work of the London School Board, but Brierley's are smoother, much more elegant performances. The first, Shipton Street Schools of 1890, has a long single-storey front with a series of Low Countries gables alternately crow-stepped and concave with decorative metal tie-plates (the Dutch ankers). Shaped and pedimented gables to the end elevations.'
- The Buildings of England: Yorkshire: York and the East Riding' - Nikolaus Pevsner and David Neave (1995 edn.)
I couldn't get photos of the grounds inside the gates, but could see through the side of the gate, and from the evidence above the tops of the walls, that the playground area is becoming overgrown with weeds. While buddleia and other tenacious weeds and shrubs are good for butterflies and other wildlife, it would be better if this building and its playground area were properly used to benefit people, as empty buildings are no good to anyone. I think we can all agree on that, at least.