Harris Federation Trust
New 1,150 student school on the University of Greenwich's former Avery Hill Campus.
DHA was instrumental in helping award-winning Harris Federation Trust secure a resolution to grant planning permission for a new 1,150 student school on the University of Greenwich's former Avery Hill Campus.
Despite the project having faced strong local opposition, working with Wilmott Dixon, DHA helped reassure the community about the development. Key was tackling public misconception that the proposed school would damage the Grade-II listed Winter Garden, a Victorian-era hothouse containing tropical trees and plants from around the world that is said to be the second largest in the country after Kew.
The design team, including Noviun Architects, Fabrik landscape architects and Heritage Collective, worked closely with the Council and the Greater London Authority to develop a design sensitive to the heritage setting of the site and listed buildings.
The Harris Academy Greenwich scheme will require the demolition of a 1960s brick-built building before replacing it with an 11-16 year old boys school, a mixed-sex sixth form and a new sports hall.
Rising to the challenge of engaging with the public during the Covid-19 lockdown, the project team, involving DHA, took part in three Zoom-based online Q&A sessions for the public and helped develop a project website to generate feedback.
The London Borough of Greenwich resolved to permit both the full planning application and the Listed Building application. The conditions and Section 106 agreement are being finalised and to add a further degree of complexity to the project, as the site is within Metropolitan Open Land it must be finally signed off by the Mayor of London.
Project Team
Mathew joined DHA as one of our original graduate intake in 2004. He has a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Westminster, having previously studied Geography at the University of Birmingham.
Matthew Blythin MRTPI
Director
In his time at DHA, Matthew has worked on a wide variety of projects across all sectors including large scale estate regenerations, rural housing, Local Authority infrastructure projects and industrial schemes. He has also appeared as expert planning witness on behalf of clients at Public Inquiries.
Although working across all sectors and with a wide range of experience in his time at DHA, Matthew leads our education teams in our Maidstone and Leeds offices, and has overseen many applications which have secured permission for new schools and replacement school buildings across the country. He also has particular experience working with contractor and local authority clients on leisure and infrastructure projects, including new leisure centres and multi-storey car parks.
Matt is a keen cricketer and in to all things sport, including coaching the DHA-sponsored Roseacre Raiders!