VV_Feb Web 21-compressed

Photographs: Eddie Morton
Village Voice February/March 2021
AROUND
THE VILLAGES
Penn School Finally on the Market
Rayners, the former Penn School site, has
finally been put up for sale.
Built in 1847, the
property had been a
day and boarding
school for nearly 100
years for pupils aged 11
to 18 with communication
difficulties when in 2015 it was forced to close.
The Department for Education acquired the
property for £11.5m in early 2016 as a potential
site for a new free school but, together with
Bucks Council, has now decided that it is
surplus to requirements.
In considering its potential for redevelopment
it is reassuring that the vendor has been careful
to stress the sensitive nature of the site.
The following text is taken from the
brochure:
The Property is located wholly within the
Green Belt and Chilterns Area of Outstanding
Natural Beauty. In addition, the core developed
area of the site is situated within the Penn and
Tylers Green Conservation Area. Rayners
House, Rayners Lodge, The Gardeners Bothy
and Trellis Arches and the Obelisk are all Listed
Grade II and must be retained as part of any
redevelopment proposals.
Furthermore, the garden structures, specimen
trees, parkland railings and internal and external
boundary walls are all considered to contribute
towards the character of the Conservation Area.
Planning Policy seeks to protect Green Belt
from inappropriate development but there are
exceptions including the replacement of
buildings and limited infilling or the partial or
complete redevelopment of previously
developed sites, provided it preserves the
openness of the Green Belt.
The Listed status of a number of the buildings
on site may present the opportunity for partial
redevelopment through the removal of the
newer buildings and additions, (which are not
listed) and their replacement, subject to the
necessary consents.
Any redevelopment will need to respect the
setting within the Green Belt, AONB and
Conservation Area together with the Listings.
It is suggested that alternative potential uses
for the site might include 'retirement, care, hotel
and residential amongst others, subject to
securing the necessary planning consents'.
It will be very interesting to see how the story
of this remarkable place evolves in the coming
years. Peter Miller
Update from Penn Surgery
January has seen the arrival of the long awaited
Covid vaccinations at the surgery. We have been
delighted to finally be able to offer something
concrete to help us out of this pandemic.
Due to the nature of the vaccine and
complicated methods of defrosting and drawing
up, the vaccine needs to be delivered to a large
central site. Our Primary Care Network (ARC
PCN) are vaccinating at Adams Park in High
Wycombe. We are inviting patients in turn
according to the priority groups outlined by
public health England and the JCVI (Joint
committee on vaccination and immunisation).
We have already vaccinated our care home
residents and staff (Group 1) and all our patients
over 80 ( Group 2) will be contacted over the
next couple of weeks. We then will be moving
4 www.pennandtylersgreen.org.uk