Former pupil breathes life into old Grosvenor school

A former pupil of the Grosvenor School in Edwalton is one of the driving forces behind new plans unveiled today to transform its grounds. James Hartley, a resident of West Bridgford, is proposing to regenerate the site with three new homes and his award-winning company, North Sands Developments, has today filed a planning application which could transform the now-neglected site within the next few months.

The school, which closed in 2014, is now being run as a nursery but the grounds have laid untouched ever since and James feels that the new proposal could prevent the site of his old school from falling into disrepair. “We saw this site and believed that it had real potential,” James says. “Everybody at North Sands thought that, since it’s in such a special area, it almost deserves to have something special on it.”

Richard Maling, also a Director of North Sands Developments, was equally enthusiastic. “You just need to look around the area to see why it’s rated as one of the hottest places in all of the East Midlands,” he said. “These homes will complement the surroundings and ensure that the character and appeal of Edwalton carries on coming up to those extremely high standards. The fact that one of our team actually went to the school makes it all the more exciting – it’s the school getting back what it deserves!”

The initial sale of the land was handled by local agent fhp and North Sands Developments have instructed the company’s residential arm, fhp living, to advise on the selling and marketing of the homes once they have been completed. The new proposal will see three detached houses placed around the site and has been carefully designed by Greenwoods Architects Ltd to complement its surroundings and bring some high-quality touches. The neo-Georgian facades will frame the Edwardian school building behind it and, once the building phase is over, will leave one of Nottingham’s most exclusive areas looking even more desirable.